"The opposite of all our previous experiences"

Over the last few years my husband has had several stays in Raigmore. HIs care has always been excellent.

However that all changed on a recent stay. The care in ICU and high dependency were excellent but when he moved to ward 5c it all changed.

When I visited him his words were 'nobody cares about you in here. ' 'You never see the same nurse twice. ' You don't know who anybody is. '

I didn't experience anything to dispel that opinion.

I saw plenty of nurses sitting at computers or shuffling papers in files and copying from one page to another to another.

I had occasion to approach the nurses' station on twice and each time I was ignored until I spoke out.

Despite my husband telling a nurse that he was in extreme pain nothing was done until I went to get somebody as he was in such distress. A nurse then appeared with a painkiller and their total conversation was 'painkiller' as she handed it out then went away.

I phoned in the evening to check on him as I was worried by his condition when I left. My husband was wakened up and told I had phoned and had been told his pain level was zero. I had not been told anything at that time as I was on hold and then was told they were going to give him a painkiller. Probably because my husband had told them that no way had he said his pain level was zero.

When my husband left the ward six nurses were sitting chatting in a group while one told a funny story. We were ignored until they were finished. My husband had previously asked for help to carry his bag to the front door. Despite this there was a pregnant pause until eventually one nurse stood up slowly and took his bag.

I have never experienced such a feeling of being unwelcome in a hospital ward. This was not just one nurse it was all nurse over a few days

We have always praised the treatment at Raigmore but this last stay was the total opposite of anything we have experienced before.