"Communication terrible at Pinderfields General Hospital"

I was treated very quickly on admission to hospital. The standard of treatment and subsequent care was excellent, as were the nursing staff on G ward. However the standard of communication was appalling, my family had to insist on seeing a doctor to get information.

My wife was not informed when I was taken for surgery. She had telephoned the ward that morning to leave her mobile number as she was working that day, but it was not recorded. Consequently the staff could not contact her.

When my wife and my stepson arrived on the ward I was still in surgery but no-one could tell them why. Eventually a doctor came to see them and gave them what turned out to be totally inaccurate information. They then had a further wait until one of the surgeons who had performed my operation came to see them and he gave them completely different (and less worrying) information. This set the standard for obtaining information throughout my 2-week stay.

I was upset that no member of my family was with me when I was told I had bowel cancer. I have sent a letter of complaint to the hospital.