"Outside the loop"

Anything else?

My wife was admitted two weeks ago following a reaction to the chemotherapy drugs she had been prescribed. Now back home I think it is worth drawing attention to what has transpired during her stay. The nursing staff are under severe pressure with too few nurses on duty to cope with the patients. there were days when I didn't actually see a nurse and was unable to find one when one was needed. Most of the nursing staff seemed pleasant enough but they were rushed off their feet. What has really upset me is the reluctance of the staff to engage with the family. The final insult was on discharge when the nurse who had been looking after my wife in the run up to her discharge sent a message through another nurse that she did not consider there was any need to speak to us before my wife left. Apart from anything else that was extremely rude. And then there is the continual problem of contacting the ward by phone. It is important for any family to be able to speak to the ward to find out how their loved ones are faring. My wife was in the hospital for two weeks and I was only able to speak to someone on 3 days. the rest of the time the phone rang and rang but it was not answered. All in all I think my wife received a good level of care but my lasting impression is that families are considered a great inconvenience and are to be ignored whenever possible.