"Hospital Feedback"

Anything else?

My 84 yr old mother was admitted with a suspected stroke. She was on a trolley in a corridor of the Staff Area so she was blocking the toilet doors and had to move a few times to allow them access. The lockers were the other side of the corridor so it was very crowded and unpleasant..no where to sit (I am 64!) On a trolley directly behind her was a prisoner with three guards and he was chained to one of them... thankfully my frail mother was unaware of this. She'd had nothing to eat or drink since the previous evening and was desperately thirsty. When I asked for some fluids for her I was told she couldn't have anything by mouth as a precaution until they checked her swallowing, which I understood (she had a massive stroke 12 years ago) but it would take a couple of mins to check if she could swallow some water but it wasn't important to them. She arrived shortly after midday but at 6pm I was still asking any member of staff if she could have some fluids - as I pointed out, I wouldn't leave my dog for 24 hours without water. Finally she was seen to shortly before 7pm when I left. My sister remained with her until 9pm, still in a bay in A&E, awaiting a bed. At some point during the night she was finally transferred to the Stroke Unit.

I described all this to my husband when I returned home and he was equally disgusted and having been a Medical Director with 2 PCTs told me I should complain, but I feel there would be little point.