"a distressing time made worse by poor organisation"

What I liked

the hospital consultant was very helpful in explaining my mothers illness and informing us that she did not have long to live.

What could be improved

while on ward 42 my mother suffered a fall which left her bed bound and in constant pain.she needed morphine and parcetomol to help her.sometimes she was screaming with the pain.the nurse was overworked and could not give my mother pain relief all the time.sometimes it took her half an hour when she shopuld have had pain relief for it to arrive.no apology.

my mother was in a side ward shared by 4 other women patients near the main desk at the top of ward 42.no one could see into the ward from the desk.and nurses seemed overworked and unable to offer even adequate care for my mother in keeping an eye on her.she had some demntia.consequently she got out of bed in the early hours and fell hurting her side and neck badly. we were told nothing had been broken but instead of a few weeks left for my mother to live she now had only a few days to a week.as mentioned the pain relief was hit and miss in its administration and was severely criticised by my mothers marie curie nurse when she came home to die.

previous to her stay in ward 42 in april 2012.she had spent a few hours in A&E were she was discharged with a canula needle still in her arm.our regular nurse took it out the following day.

this happened again a week later when she was in acute medical unit and she was discharged again with a canula needle still in her arm she was discharged.A district nurse was called out the following day and took the needle out.she made a note in her book and recommended we take it further .however my mother took worse and died so we had other priorities.

Anything else?

the staff are cheerful and friendly although a bit condescending but are managed badly.some of the mistakes verge on medical negligence