"Lack of communication from nursing staff"

Although the over all care was good I was very dissapointed in one of the department sister's lack of passing on a message to my wife who was in the department alone without her phone.

I dropped my wife of with a suspected broken foot having fell. We have a 6 and 2 year old and I knew she was worried we would get home safe as it was 9:30pm at night an we had a 30 minute drive home.

I called switch bored and was asked to be put through to a&e. A sister answerd and I asked if I could speak to my wife and she said no not on this phone. I asked her to pass on the message to her that me and the children got home safe. She said she would.

I called switch bored again and asked to get put through to a&e. I again went to the sister I had spoken to. I asked if I was able to speak to the nurse looking after my wife and she relied no one is looking after her she is still sat in the waiting room. I again asked if she could pass on the message I called which she said she would.

2 and a half hours later I called switch bored again and asked to be put through to the reception specifically as the sister made me anxious about speaking to her again. The receptionist was nice and said your wife has just been in to see the doctor call back in 20 minutes.

My wife called me before I had chance to call her.

When my wife arrived home I asked if the message was passed on which is wasn't and she said she was worried sick about us not knowing if we was ok.

I called the receptionist back to ask for the sisters name and she asked me what it was about. The niceness she had earlier was gone and she seemed abrupt saying well when you called me I said she had gone in to see the doctor. I explained I wasn't talking about her and she had been the only helpful one although at that point she wasn't and made me feel I was in the wrong. She gave me the sisters direct number and when I asked for the sisters name the receptionist said she can tell you that if she wants you to know.

I Am a nurse myself and I know how busy the demands are of the job. But that night I was a relative trying to get a message across to my loved one so she didn't worry. It is not a hardship to take 10 seconds to pass on a message. This is why complaint's happen in the first place. Lack of communication.