Very Topical.

Today Keith and I go back to the Hospital to speak to the managers about the shambles that purports to be a caring rehabilitation centre. It seems that we are very topical, there is a report out this morning by the NHS Ombudsman which reveals that 20% of all complaints made are about the care of elderly people in NHS establishments. The very things that we are complaining about, lack of pain relief, lack of food, water, toilet, washing facilities.The lack of dignity surrounding people who only weeks before were running their own lives in their own homes are now left to lie in dirty wet beds and dirty clothes. Its an outrage and something that we all may end up having to deal with later in our lives.

Mum had a fall last week on Wednesday in the hospital. She had told the staff caring for her that she didn't feel well and that her legs felt wobbly, but  no one listened she was cajoled and bullied out of bed and she was right her legs were wobbly and she fell to the floor injuring her ankle. She was in considerable pain with her ankle and the Doctor decided that she needed to have an X ray. Arrangements were made the following morning for her to be transported to the local hospital for that X ray, in considerable pain she was dressed and was ready from 7am. The transport did not arrive that day, it finally arrived at 4pm on Friday, two days after her fall. The crew said there was no point taking her as the X ray department was now closed and they left.

We complained as we have every step of the way knowing that she was in for at least a two day wait as everything stops at the weekend. This time Keith went in and complained. He sat with Mum and rung her call bell as she was in a wet bed. They waited FORTY minutes for anyone to arrive and then another 20 for someone to assist to get her up and clean and dry again. Its an absolute outrage.

We have taken the decision to take this to the press, we spoke to them on Friday and they immediately called the Trust press office, Keith was registering his latest complaint when someone came in and told the Sister in charge the press office was on the phone. They then blatantly lied and said that she would be taken for an X ray on Saturday morning, which they never had any intention of doing. The paper phoned back yesterday and asked if she was dealt with on Saturday morning and at the time they phoned she was still waiting for treatment. The press are now taking the matter up and have asked us for photos for the piece they will be doing. The photo at the top is of Mum when she was a nurse back in the 50's. She is in the middle row on the right. I can't see anything getting any better. The staffing levels are wrong the staff are under such pressure that they can't cope and this moth they have had someone off sick on all bar three days. The staff on the whole are caring and are as upset as we are, they hate seeing people in this situation but there is only so much one pair of hands can do. I don't expect I will change the world, but I am going to be a thorn in their side until they take care of the person that matters to me.