"Concerned about my brother's care"

WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING - My brother is currently in the above hospital where he has some very real concerns about his care. He has been in and out of this hospital for a number of months for a stomach ailment and apart from still having no diagnosis, he is really worried for his welfare.

He was admitted 2 weeks ago and discharged after a week. Whilst he was there, he fell over and knocked himself unconscious he said this was due to the floor being mopped and a cone being left by his bed whilst he was asleep. He was back in hospital 2 days after his discharge with the same complaint after his 8 year old daughter found him crippled and screaming with pain on the floor. Since being back in, he was given some medication which he reacted to. He asked the nurse about his medication and what he had been given. She replied saying he had had his medication and there was some confusion on their part about my brother’s name.

I have been at my wits end because I feel that things are going from bad to worse. He made a very worried phone call to my sister last night about his welfare. He said he woke up lying sideways on his bed, face down and missing 3 hours. He was having palpitations and said to my sister that he was ringing because he wants someone to know what is happening in case he doesn't wake up in the morning. He asked the nurse several times what he had been given and still now they have not told him. He told myself and other siblings he feels he has to 'beg' for his medication that is on his hospital records for him to have, when other patients have been given theirs as part of the round, in some cases patients have been woken up to receive their medication. This has been going on for the 2 weeks he has been in the hospital.

After the incident last night and again not receiving his medication this morning when the nurse did her rounds, I rang and spoke with 2 site managers at the hospital this morning as I share his concerns about his welfare. I was advised to contact my brother’s consultant and the nurse manager tomorrow.

My brother is not a worrier, or a person who panics. He is normally fit, straight-thinking rational person which is why I am so concerned and was not comfortable in leaving things until tomorrow - primarily not after what had happened last night. For this reason, I contacted Cure the NHS via their website and received some help contacting the hospital. I spoke to my brother a few minutes after and he said staff had just come to give him some pain relief. I was also told that my brother is scheduled to have a procedure tomorrow. He has not had any discussions with anyone about a procedure anytime soon, let alone it being tomorrow so this came as a surprise to him. He asked 2 days ago to see a manager to raise concerns about his care and find out what they were planning to do - prior to our involvement this morning, no-one had been to see him.

After his experiences my brother is so anxious and distressed about his welfare, as are we his family that he has no confidence in Stafford Hospital and wishes to be transferred to New Cross, Wolverhampton.

I am so worried that even though I am only 5 weeks post-op from major surgery myself, I am going to make the journey to Stafford Hospital today to go and see him. If I have to travel back on the train tomorrow as well to see his consultant, I will do so to try and get this resolved.