"emergency admission"

Recently I accompanied my neighbour to Queen's Medical Centre medical admissions unit in Nottingham.

Apart from one clinical support worker who introduced herself to my neighbour, explained what she was doing and was helpful in getting things my neighbour needed none of the other nurses that I saw made eye contact, introduced themselves, explained what they were doing or asked if she needed anything. When you have been admitted as an emergency to hospital it is very scary and a friendly introduction, explanations, eye contact, reassurance and offers of basic comfort make all the difference to fear, pain and how bad the whole experience feels. The nurses didn't seem to see that their patients needed this reassurance.

When I visited her the next day on ward D57 nobody had washed her or helped her to clean her teeth. Having been ill at home for several days before admission she had been unable to do these basic things for herself and all she felt she wanted was a wash and her teeth cleaned. The nurses were very heplful in providing the things I needed when I offered to help her and said that if she had asked they would have helped her. I feel that ill people need to be offered care and it shouldn't be left for them to ask for it.

In contrast the doctor, Dr. Page, in the medical admissions unit was excellent. He sat down beside her, listened to her, explained what he thought was wrong and what he was going to do about it. This excellent care took no more time than the care the nurses gave without eye contact or explanation and yet the positive effect it had on her was in marked contrst to the negative effect the nursing care had on her.

This is not intended to undermine anybody, just to point out the importance of basic care and basic communication