"Failed on dignity again"

When visiting Brierley 3 at the NGH yesterday I was appalled at the lack of respect staff showed towards one particular patient. The lady was in B Bay along with my relative and I witnessed her being ignored, disregarded and neglected.

The lady appeared to be challenging for the staff on duty. She was calling out for a 'pad' for about ten minutes before she pressed her call button. This was not answered for another 5-10 minutes. Lunch was arriving and staff told the lady she would have to wait to have her wet pad changed until after lunch. The lady continued to shout loudly - interfering with the comfort of the other patients. She refused her meal (understandably) and I watched 5 care staff serve sandwiches to 6 patients - apparently having no time to help this lady.

The lady's dignity was not preserved as she struggled on her bed and at one point a care staff member shouted across the bay, "shut up shouting". When the lady was eventually helped after approx. 30 minutes she became quiet and looked comfortable.

On entering the ward there is a display about dignity / respect. The words I noted were 'compassion', 'outstanding care tailored to people's needs' and 'empathy' - I witnessed no compassion, no person-centred care and nothing I saw was outstanding at all. Another visitor was also speaking to her relative saying the situation was 'shameful'.

I have no idea if staff are trained in person-centred caring or dealing with patients who may have Dementia or confusion but from what I witnessed yesterday, it appears there is a huge lack of knowledge in this area.