"Treatment of visiting relatives by the nursing staff"

Last week an elderly relative was admitted to ward 10 and the message received at 0400 hrs Sunday from your staff was that we should attend with some haste as our relative was gravely ill. My wife and myself arrived at 0700 hrs on Sunday and were allowed to visit the bedside, albeit the patient was in no condition to respond to us. Because we live some 60 miles from southport we telephoned on Sunday evening to check on any further developments and were advised that she was comfortable, we asked at the same time if we could visit out of hours because of the journey and were advised that we could.

On Monday we drove through some unpleasant weather only to be told by the person in charge that we had to come outside of lunch time, no indication as to what those times are, we are to assume that 1200 to 13. 30. We were further advised that only one person can attend and only for five minutes. Much had changed since early hours of Sunday morning. The people we encountered on Sunday were very good and we have no complaints at all, however the the attitude we encountered on Monday leaves much to be desired. Our problem is our relative is still very ill and in your hospital. The member of staff we spoke to on Monday is making visiting, at an already an emotional time, very difficult.