"Used cannula under the bed"

My mum, was admitted to Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock one Sunday via a 999 call.

My mum has COPD and is in and out of hospital regularly..

After a wait in A&E she was admitted to the holding ward 5E.

I waited in the waiting area until my mum was settled in. On visiting her in the ward she asked me to put the side of the bed down to allow her access should she need the toilet. On bending down I noticed something lying on the floor just under her bed. As it was covered in blood I wasn't prepared to investigate further.

I approached the nurses station and explained there was "something" lying under the bed and it was covered in blood.

One of the nurses indicated to another member of staff, I think it may have been a domestic, to attend. The staff member informed me it was in fact a used cannula. She proceeded to pick it up with her bare hands and take it away. The blood was on the floor and over the cannula.

To be honest I dint want to leave my mum there and if I could have taken her home I would have. I asked to speak to a staff nurse.

On speaking with the nurse she informed she had just came on shift, irrelevant, and it must have been the domestics who had left it lying. She apologised and took my name and contact phone number assuring me she would speak to the ward sister in the morning and assured she would follow this up and call me.

I have heard nothing since.

I think this is unacceptable. What if a child had picked that up. It wasnt as if it was "tucked away" it was easily accessed for anyone.

And it is bad public relations that no-one has even bothered to get back to me. I think t's disgusting.