"A message for the Medical Director"

My 86-year-old mother with advance dementia has been with your hospital trust since the 9th February.

I completely accept the importance of the ban on visiting loved ones however vulnerable they may be as it is a critical factor in infection control.

However, I have been left horrified that you have not established any meaningful communication channels for the family members and legal guardians of your patients.

When I phone your organisation, I feel grateful when I get through to a person on the ward and then I feel indebted if I actually get through to a nurse. This feeling of appreciation is an indication of the respect and value that I place on your staff.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for me to get a response that my mother is ok and if I want any more information then I should call back on the next day. Even when I get through to someone more communicative, they invariably never introduce themselves and I have to go through a checklist of questions which starts with asking them for their name and ends with asking if there is anything else that I should know about my mother. Even after using my checklist of questions, I was disturbed to learn quite by accident of a procedure that had been performed on my mother without my knowledge. As I am my mother’s legal guardian you have a legal duty to inform me of any procedure being undertaken on my mother.

The fact that your staff are confident in stating with such alacrity that my “mother is ok and if I want any more information then I should call on the next day”, demonstrates:

• A complete lack of professional conduct and behaviour;

• A complete lack of respect for the relative and the patient;

• It reveals that your staff are not being properly managed as this type of conduct in any other job would result in the individual being formally cautioned.

An organisation that accepts such inept behaviours, can only be described as dysfunctional and reflects poorly on hospital leadership. Therefore, I am seriously concerned that your hospital may be doing more harm than good for my mother.

By the way, I have been waiting on a result of a covid test which was promised to me by Thursday 25th at the latest.

On a positive note, your staff at A&E when my mother was admitted and your surgical staff were simply brilliant and I would be grateful if you would convey my gratitude for their exemplary professionalism. It hurts me that my 1-star rating tars your exceptional staff.