"My Fathers recent hospital experience"

I am truly upset, disappointed and concerned about my elderly father's admission to CAU. I know the hospital and staff are completely under pressure and there are massive problems with the lack of beds and not enough staff in certain areas of hospital. But my father has cancer as well as many other medical conditions/illnesses and my family and myself are saddened to witness the treatment or should I say the non-treatment that my father received.

Certain things, like coming in and checking on elderly patients and asking if they are ok which is part of their duty of care to their patients. Having been up seeing my dad 4 times, one day after the next and being with him the majority of the day, and for not one member of nursing staff or assistants to check on my dad throughout the 8 hours we were there. My dad who is very, very ill and can deteriorate very quickly which has been witnessed on previous admission in A&E resulting in family being phoned to go straight up to hospital at 11pm at night but, nursing staff clearly did not take that information on board even although they had been advised on quite a few occasions. We found something seriously wrong here which needs looked into urgently.

Then not to administer medication in the safest way for patients due to not being able to take anything orally, medics and dietician agreed safest route was this way. I was explaining to staff it had to be done to avoid my dad possibly aspirate and end up with pneumonia but, nursing staff still insisted on doing it their way regardless of health and serious safety issues for my dad even although medics had advised them the route I was advising was the route it was to be administered. Due to the way it was safest for patients health.

Then to have staff not listening to family or patients concerns during stay or regarding discharge, it is absolutely disgraceful especially when patient was discharged previously week before and less than 12 hours was readmitted via GP due to being sent home far to soon. These professionals that we put our trust in or supposed to put our trust in, it is very concerning especially when they are playing with patients life's and sending them home far to soon just because they need the bed.

Needless to say patient was back with them needing a bed also once again within 24hrs. Which then the patient requires an even longer stay because they have seriously went downhill with the small time send home. It's not fair on my dad and other patients. How would these medics/nursing staff like it if it was there parents or family that was in my family or my position. I'm very much sure they would feel exactly the same way.

Other safety issues were having a patient on a hospital bed next to emergency exit door on 2 occasions. I'm sure that must be a serious health and safety breach/ issue especially with patient on bed in corridor...where is the patients privacy etc.

Overall serious, serious health and safety issues which I strongly advise they need addressed. There are quite a few other serious issues which we witnessed with regards to my dad's health and treatment but would be far too much to tell you about on this page.

All I want is the best treatment possible for my dad regardless of his age/illness. He should still be given the same important medical input as any other patients. It doesn't cost anything for a lovely bit of patient care, compassion, empathy and dignity. These patients are someone's loved one. I believe if you just take a minute and stop and think if it was your loved one how you would like them to be treated and remember that when you are treating your own patients to apply the same standard of care.