"Variable care of the Elderly"

My 84 year old father was admitted late last year with a low sodium count via A and E and placed on ward at Jimmies.

He was discharged after a couple of weeks as 'fit', with no discharge plan, no intermediate care team, absolutely nothing and within 4 days I had to call an emergency ambulance again.

This time, after our experience, I insisted we were taken to Harrogate Hospital. It turned out my father had a UTI and low sodium count, but furthermore on admission it was discovered he had MRSA which he did not have prior to admission to Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust.

I believe LTHT failed to diagnose and treat my father. The ward there was full of dementia patients which meant my father had no sleep. There were only three staff on duty at night for 33 vulnerable patients. When I pointed this out was told it was not in their gift to change this, it was the higher ups who could change this and they wouldn't because they needed to save money.

When I kept asking if he had a UTI I never received a proper answer and was told on one occasion by a doctor that 'there were other patients you know'. There was no TV, no radio, no stimulus at all. I was told this was for health and safety reasons (ligature points). The food was terrible.

The worse thing was no discharge planning and we had no idea what was going on when father came home.

He became delirious and it was only through Harrogate Hospital's excellent care that he was diagnosed and treated correctly with the care and dignity he deserved and needed.

The staff at LTHT were really nice but they were totally overwhelmed with work - I felt sorry for them, but sorrier for my father who was immobile and needed to get to the bathroom etc, but had to wait.

I think LTHT is just awful for care of the elderly and I would never take my father there again. I cannot imagine what happens if people have no families to watch over them.