"I was upset after our conversation"

I rang up Lowton Ward in the afternoon to find out how my elderly dad was. I was very worried and anxious. I asked how he was and how his blood test results had gone and very abruptly I was told they could not discuss his medical information over the phone.

When I said I had been given this information by other, very friendly and pleasant staff yesterday, and didn't understand why this member of staff couldn't, I was told I had 'dobbed' the other nurses in and words would be had with them. I felt that saying this to family members of ill patients was very unprofessional indeed.

Later that evening, when I went into hospital to see my dad, another very friendly nurse told me that I could speak over the phone as long as a password was set up - something which the person earlier did not mention to me. In the same telephone conversation, I said that there was another patient on the ward who my dad went to school with. Before I had finished speaking I was rudely interrupted and told they couldn't discuss other patients with me. Of course they couldn't - I wasn't asking them too. When they let me finish and I asked if he could possibly be helped to walk to his friend's bed to have a chat with him.  I was told they didn't have time and couldn't offer that level of service. (I then did this in the evening and it took about 1 minute to take him).

I was asking for kindness, but this seemed to be too much. I understand that hospitals are very busy places and staff work very hard, but surely an important part of  the job is to be kind towards patients and families.The person on the phone was aggressive and abrupt. I feel the need to write this as I was upset after the conversation  and wouldn't want anyone else to be in the same situation.

I would also like to mention that all the other staff on the ward were extremely helpful, kind and friendly. The ward is clean and pleasant, there have been no other problems. However, our experience was spoiled by one particular member of staff who was rude. I understand there are rules, but there was no need to speak so rudely to me.