"My Mothers care at the Alexandra Hospital Nov..."

My mother died at the Alexandra Hospital on 29th Nov 2018.

Although this was a difficult time for us my brother and myself we found the care received exceeded our expectations at what was a busy time for the hospital.

Having come into the A&E department via ambulance on the afternoon of Sunday 25th Nov because Worcester was on divert we were met with friendly concerned staff who did their best to keep our wait to a minimum.

The two young doctors from the medical team who came to assess her were also sympathetic, communicated well and most importantly listened to what my brother and I had to say.

They took note of us when we conveyed our mother’s clear wishes that no exceptional measures be taken to prolong her life.

Mum was admitted to MAU late that evening.

On the Monday morning my brother and I were able to discuss my mother’s care with the consultant.

In discussion with the consultant who was respectful of her wishes end of life care was agreed upon.

Within four hours of this decision being taken a palliative care nurse sought me out. This twenty-minute chat I had with her helped me more than I can say. She then took over making sure mum was comfortable and tried to find a more suitable place for her to be rather than the MAU ward.

The special palliative /end of life care room was occupied and it took until the Tuesday afternoon before a side room could be found. Despite this it must be said the staff on MAU did their very best to make us comfortable at our mothers bedside and to ensure my mother was as comfortable as possible on this constantly busy ward. All of the staff on the wards were helpful and friendly. In particular I must mention the quality of the HCA’s who went out of their way especially on MAU to ensure that we were well looked after. Also the palliative care nurses who called in every day supporting us and helping to keep mum as comfortable as possible.

The help received from the bereavement office was also extremely valuable. The bereavement officer took the trouble to go up to the ward and chase the Doctor for a signature on the Death Certificate so that we were able to collect this document without too much delay.

Finally I would like to mention the role of the League of Friends in providing a friendly quality café facility. When you need to be in the hospital for long periods of time this makes a real difference, so much more comforting than a bland Costa Coffee outlet. This together with the flowers they organize around the hospital make it a much more welcoming place to be in.

The only thing that could be improved on was providing appropriate facilities for end of life care quicker. It may not be reasonable to duplicate the specialist room but if a an appropriately equipped side room could be identified which could by some sensitive shuffling be quickly brought into action as the back up I am sure this would greatly improve the experience of other people in the same situation.

Thank you to everyone.