"Lack of communication"

We recently stayed in ward 3b for my child’s surgery. We arrived at 09.30 the day before and were put into a room, we didn’t see a nurse until I buzzed at 6 o’clock that night to ask if we could try and get some food as my child didn’t eat the dinner. I asked for bedding for the bed and was told they were busy and half an hour later the clinical support worker came in and put the bedding on the bed and walked out again. I didn’t feel comfortable buzzing to ask for milk for my child's bottle.

The nurse on the night shift did 2 sets of observations and they was in more than anyone. 

In the morning the medical staff came in and explained what would happen, I did not have this explained to me the day before and no one told me anything. The doctor took the time to speak to my child. The anaesthetist was lovely and spent time to speak to us and explain things. They really put me at ease.

My child went to surgery and I went back to wait. While in the room someone came up to the nurse who was outside our room when my child was ready to come back and said great! I love my job. The nurse then came in and said they were going to get him. It made me feel like my child was an inconvenience and it made me really uncomfortable. When my child was back in the ward the nurse did one set of observations and that was the last time we saw them. He woke up and his heart rate was high making the machine beep, I buzzed and a nurse came in and said they would let the nurse know. 4 hours later no one had came to check.

We were told we could go home after 5 so I arranged to be picked up after this. That time came and went and I said to the clinical support worker who brought our dinner that someone was coming to pick us up. Again no one came near and when they came back to pick up the plates they asked if someone had come to speak to me.  When the nurse finally did come they said they didn’t know we were to go home and would have phoned the doctor. Another hour passed and finally we were told we could go home. The doctor asked me to wait 2 mins for the discharge letter which was fine. We both were ready with our jackets on and stood at the door. The same doctor walked past us 5 times and we were still waiting 20 minutes later until I made eye contact with a nurse and they said the letter was waiting at the desk.

Taking your child to hospital for an operation is a very stressful time and I feel the experience of being in that ward added to the anxiety and made it not a nice experience.

One nurse came in and spoke to us about the operation after I buzzed and said no one had spoken to me. I understand that with the current situation it is hard but I feel that even to take 5 minutes to introduce yourself or even meet the patient might help. I don’t think if the nurses were asked they would be able to say what my child looked like as they weren’t in the room.