"Shameful treatment."

In March 2022 a decision was made by the Consultant to transfer my Dad from home where he was receiving treatment via the Acute Care at Home team to hospital as his condition was deteriorating. 

An Ambulance was arranged by AC@H and my Dad left his home at approx 13:50. 

My sister accompanied him as Dad as he has dementia and is deemed as lacking capacity.

They arrived at Craigavon Area Hospital ED where information was meant to have been already handed over to ensure continuation of care. 

He waited in the ambulance for almost 2 hours and then waited in triage. No one was expecting him. No handover. Eventually moved to green area  at 5pm. No bed. In a chair. 

Not a drink of water or cup of tea. Nothing. No vital signs recorded. No assessment. 

He was seen by a surgeon who said they knew he was waiting on a medical bed but that they still needed to examine.  My Dad (dementia, confused, and tired and cold) said that he wasn't staying there. This surgeon then asked why did you come here, and that they couldn't examine him anyway as there was no bed. 

There follows a disastrous 3 days spent in ED. 

My father was faecally incontinent (never happened before). Medications were missed and then signed for the next day. 

Pain medication with codeine stopped and laxatives continued but no nursing provision to ensure my father got to the bathroom. 

Clothes were sent home covered in faeces. Not even rinsed off. 

No nursing care or compassion. 

Nursing staff went into defensive mode as soon as a question was asked. 

The constant reply from nursing staff was to say how busy they were with what appeared to be a look of disgust at even being approached for information. 

The phone was rarely answered in green zone. 

When I did get through on the one occasion to the green area ED... I was told there was no-one with Dad's name in that area. Eventually I was told that he must be over the other side! 

On Saturday he was left in a room in ED green area on a commode for 10 mins. With door closed. No staff to be seen in the area. The commode was full of faeces and my Dad had managed to get himself back half onto the bed. He was naked from the waist down apart from a pair of net pants which he has never worn. 

Apparently the sluices were too full to take away the commode.  The room stinking and there was faeces on the floor on the bed. 

Covid swabs were not taken Friday or Saturday until a bed was found but he couldn't go because covid swabs hadn't been done. Apparently this was an oversight.  During a pandemic, in an ED dept - swabs should be done daily. In the morning. 

This really is only a snap shot of the issues surrounding my Dads 3 day stay in ED as a emergency transfer from acute care at home to hospital. 

I am too upset to continue to log anymore at this time but I do have a chronicle order of events. 

I have worked as a nurse for the Southern Trust from when I was 18.

My sister is a senior psychiatric nurse

Today we are ashamed by the attitude and poor skills of the staff in ED Craigavon Area Hospital. They were condescending, dismissive and rude. Unprofessional and lacking any empathy. 

Apparently they decided my Dad was ok on his own! 

87 years old, frail, very unwell, unsteady, disoriented, dementia diagnosis and documentation of no capacity by his Consultant  

We feel this is Appalling treatment of a gentleman who worked hard from 15 years old until 65 years old. 

Shameful treatment.