"Immediate concerns about my grandmother on ward AM2 "

My grandmother is currently an inpatient on ward AM2 at Manchester Royal Infirmary.

I am concerned at the poor care she is currently receiving after being transferred to this ward from AMU yesterday.

She was diagnosed with pneumonia and septicaemia. She was unstable yesterday with a low blood pressure, low oxygen levels and persistently high temperature. She was so unwell that the consultant told my mum that she is critically ill and anything could happen. She was assessed for transfer to ICU, however, with IV fluids and additional antibiotics, she seemed to stabilise. She was then transferred to ward AM2.

Whilst on AM2, one of the family members has been with her at all times. This is because she doesn't speak English so we were worried about the language barrier. In the last 24 hours, it feels like she is not receiving the due care and attention required for a patient who is potentially unstable. My mum visited her and lunch time and found her to be restless, uncomfortable, and very confused. She flagged this with the nursing staff but no one attended. She flagged it again, and no one attended. Eventually some HCAs attended to do her obs and found her heart rate was very high (around 120) and her temperature was high again. They said they would go and speak to the nurses immediately. Again, no body came. My mum went twice and had to demand to see a doctor because no one was attended to my grandmother. Eventually they came and gave her a dose of IV antibiotics (who knows if this was on schedule or not), an antiemetic and IV paracetamol. My mum asked to see a doctor. The doctor was sitting at the computer and did not respond to her queries and concerns, instead telling her that the consultant will be round soon and will see to her then. The consultant came after yet another hour.

I am a GP working an hour away. I called several times to speak to a nurse or doctor looking after my grandmother this afternoon, only to be fobbed off and told they were too busy. My cousin, who was sitting with my grandmother, asked the consultant also to speak to me who told her "I've got a lot of patients to see".

I work in the NHS. We care for patients and should be able to respond to varying levels of illness and concern. We should at least be able to communicate effectively with patients and their relatives. It is just another confused old lady to them. It is my grandmother who is otherwise pretty fit, healthy and never confused. If relatives are telling you that their loved one is really not well and very confused, they should be responding to this. Especially a patient who has remained unstable and almost transferred to ICU.

We are all terrified for my grandmother. Yes, she is in hospital. "She is in the best place". It seems there is only great attention and regular monitoring when a patient is very unstable. If my family weren't sitting with her, I'm sure my grandmother would become critically ill again and no one would notice until it is too late.

It is a very, very worrying time for us all.