"Bad manners and bad communication aren't acceptable."

I broke my back brought in to NDDH through A&E. I  had MIR and various X rays.   All the staff were very kind and helpful felt safe informed of what was happening consent always asked for before moving me. Had to be 5 for roll etc.

However my experience on the ward was not so pleasant. I understand the pressure of short staff but I was on a ward with 3 elderly ladies. One next to me had food delivered but was never sat up till I asked so she could reach and eat it. I also food delivered on a red tray which was no help what so ever - have you tried to eat flat on your back?

From the day of admission on Sunday till my discharge on Thursday I was never offered a wash. I asked for a shower on day of discharge. With my diagnosis you would have thought I'd have been offered help. I was put in shower room on a glide commode and given a bell. I managed to wash what I could and rinsed my hair, rang the assistance bell and waited. I waited that long I was getting cold. After shouting for a nurse and no one came I used my toe took off foot break and shuffled over to sink where my towel and bag was. I began to dry myself and left the bell to ring. When I had dried what I could put towel over myself and shouted again. No answer.  I could hear the chatter around nurse station outside the bathroom. So I rang from my mobile a friend to ring the ward to ask to get me from bathroom.

Shortly after putting phone down a pleasant member of staff opened the  door to ask if I was ok.  I explained how long I had been waiting.  They said that they would just put away what they had in hand and return. They had asked why they hadn't got the bell at the station but got no reply - 12:47 rang 13:45 answered. They could not have been more apologetic and helped me back to my bed and asked if they could be any more help. I said that now I'm back safe on my bed I just need to rest a while then I would be ok. They returned later to check on my welfare.

I found this member of staff and the person delivering the teas to be so nice to everyone on our ward. One nurse appeared so abrupt with the older ladies on my ward, even told a lady quite abruptly that she was the only member of staff  and if she couldn't wait for help for toilet she would just have to wet the bed. When I said to her that wasn't called for they said they only had one pair of hands. I said they could have explained that nicely. 

Another bad experience for me was I was taken by porter for an x-ray. I was left after the x-ray  in a cold corridor in quite a lot of pain. A nice person at a desk requested a porter to collect me. No one came and in the end they rang again and told them I was in pain and been waiting 20min. All this sat in a wheelchair with a painful back.

It took 24 hours for a bladder scan I requested as I  was in pain and had not passed urine for over 24hrs; eventually i was catheterised. I have been in NDDH before and have received excellent care so this experience has upset me. The failings were more the lack of communication between teams -  the times I asked for things like a bladder scan and pain relief, only to be told that was the first they knew I needed it.

On another occasion I waited for ages in pain for a nurse for a double signature on a medication. I told them I have capacity to sign it as witness, anything,  just please give me relief. I have never felt so vulnerable. 

I am a stoic lady, not yet 60.  It made me think how the older ladies around me must have felt. One lady opposite's relative was a surgeon in the hospital - I was glad they did not get to see how she was left naked on a commode with no call aid. I rang mine for her when she called out from behind curtain that she was cold and had finished. Covid has a lot to answer to but bad manners and bad communication aren't acceptable.