"Colorectal Cancer Post Op Care on Poldark Ward"

Anything else?

I was admitted in July 2013 for an operation to remove my rectum and give me a temporary ileostomy, I was very fortunate to be given a side room for the 4 days I was on Poldark Ward but this did mean that I was somtimes ignored for up to an hour when I needed assistance. All of the nursing staff and health care workers were very good (except one Healthcare Worker working one night) however they were so short staffed and busy that I did not get the treatment I excpected, on one occasion my drip and epidural pain relief had run out and the machines were beeping for an hour, I buzzed and buzzed with no response and ended up calling the Poldark reception desk from my mobile phone and asking them to send one down to my room to help. I also had to ask for my bloody sheets to be changed - I was helped out of my bed on the 3rd day and staff came and went and no one noticed or thought that my bed needed sorting. There were no doctors available all weekend and because the staff nurse could not understand the notes from my consultant there was constant dithering about my medication, they did try to resolve it by bringing in an on call anaethasist and pharmacist but neither wanted to make a call on my treatment so it all had to wait for Monday which was really annoying as this delayed my discharged. I am due to have my ileostomy reversed very soon and am very worried about staying in again due to the problems I experienced in July. I really want to say that the staff were very, very good when they had the time to attend to me, but I worry that people older than myself (I am 45) would struggle to get the care needed due to the lack of support these wonderful people get from the Hospital Management team.