"My fathers stay in the Queens Medical Centre,with a bladder problem."

My father was admitted to the Qmc, at the end of october 2012, with a bladder problem, and on arrival was seen quite quickly.

He was then kept in hospital on the urology ward, where he had a catheter fitted. Throughout his 11 day stay, questions were regularly asked by family members, about my fathers condition, most nurses didn't give any informative information, mostly saying they "don't know", "not sure" and "I will ask". These comments seem very worrying, when you take into account my father had a catheter put in on arrival to alleviate his bladder pain, and was later told that the blockage was sorted! He was also told at one stage that he would need a operation on his prostate, then he wasn't. Again, no explanation as to why, as the nurses were not sure why.

We asked to speak to a doctor on two occasions, but were told, that no one available. On the third request to speak to a doctor, the nurse said she would speak to him, she returned with the answer that he didn't know any details about my father.

During his 11 day stay, he moved ward 4 times! On the third move, it was to a Gastric ward, we asked the nurses there why he was in there, and again we were told that they don't know, there are no notes with him, it's probably because this is where there is a bed! During one of the ward moves, his new supply of prescription pills were lost. But the staff at the time really did not want to listen to his wife when she tried to explain the situation.

So he was discharged, with the need for more tests shortly at the QMC and at the City hospital. He had only been home 2 days, when we had to admit him as an emergency patient to the City Hospital. We were informed very quickly that the problem was caused when the Catheter was put in place at the QMC, but his foreskin was never pulled forward again The nurse described this as "A schoolboy error", and said it's not the first time they have seen this happen.

The service and care we had at the City Hospital was how a visit to hospital should be, and a far cry from the experience at the QMC. This is not necessarily a criticism of the nurses' ability, but a real disappointment in the lack of communication between us and the staff.

This apart from the "schoolboy error", which resulted in the emergency re-admission. So we are now waiting for more tests, and still some information about what is wrong with my father!