"Poor experience and environment"

Relative is currently in hospital and we have been told they are not responding to treatment so will now be moved to palliative care. Have been advised there is no space to move them to so they can have some privacy and dignity at the end of their life. We are unable to have conversations with them without a full ward of around 15 patients plus their visitors and the staff able to hear our conversations and this is such a horrible addition to an already hard experience.

This is not the fault of the staff in the ward, they could not be any nicer or more apologetic. I believe this is the fault of the failing NHS system in this country which is no longer fit for purpose and can't even give people an acceptable end of life care.

There is also covid in the ward, which means any time family members visit, they are putting themselves and other family members at risk. There are family members who are unable to see our relative as they are classed as higher risk for covid and this is awful to think that they will never be able to share final moments with them, as they cannot get a safe place for them to do so.

We have been advised our relative is negative for covid so the risk is purely caused by the location they are being kept in and we are being told there is nowhere else within the entire hospital that they can go. If we are not present, the nurses need to keep the curtains open, which is understandable to carry out their role, but means our relative will potentially pass away in front of a large audience within an unsuitable location if our family members need to leave for small periods of time. This makes an already terrible experience more difficult and upsetting and lacks compassion and empathy for our relative and our family.

I really feel for the staff having to deliver these messages to patients and family as they do their best.