"Concerns about care on Ward 2"

I had surgery and a recent stay on ward 2 at Good Hope Hospital. I have had previous time as an inpatient on this ward and received good care but not this time.

I had surgery and had spent six hours in the operating theatre. I was in a side room but had no sleep as I was regularly checked through the night and given different medications which was fine.

The problem started the next morning. I needed to get up to go to the toilet I was in a lot of discomfort and still felt woozy from the anaesthetic and drugs I also had a drain in. I asked one of the nurses if the toilet was far, I was told "no it's not far" but wasn't told exactly where it was I managed to get up and find it with the help of a fellow patient. After making my way back to the room and seeing my consultant I was advised that I needed to have a shower and remove the dressings.

I waited for the nurse to come back as I had asked for a towel I then had to ask twice more before someone gave me a towel and showed me where the shower was. I asked if there was a chair to sit on as I had felt unwell in the shower after my last operation. I was given a chair then left alone to shower.

Whilst trying to remove the dressings on my own I began to feel sick and faint so pressed the buzzer as I thought I was going to fall to the floor. Nobody came and the buzzer had been sounding for almost 10 minutes before anyone came to check I was ok. Three members of staff then came and I explained I felt unwell and nobody came when I pressed for help and I needed help trying to get the dressings off. The one nurse then pulled the dressing off my back aggressively without warning. I managed to get the rest of the dressings off with the help of a health care assistant who then assisted me back to my bed.

I was told that the named nurse would be with me shortly to do my dressings. I then had to wait for an hour for the named nurse to come.

I feel it is totally unacceptable to not have any member of staff to check on a patient in the shower when the buzzer has been pressed and to have been left there for almost 10 minutes. There were plenty of staff about so I don't think it was a staffing issue.