"Doctors & Consultant 100% ..."

What I liked

Doctors & Consultant 100% Caring, helpful, friendly, cheerful & understanding.

Nurses 99% Caring, polite, helpful, friendly, cheerful & understanding

Cleanliness 100% for linen & clothing (not floors)

What could be improved

Floor cleaning -

I witnessed cleaners not changing buckets of dirty water and not cleaning properly under beds. I never witnessed a bed or locker being pulled out to clean under.

A minority of nurses -

My father was admitted in April 2007 and died within 14 days. The care he had was excellent as I have commented in 'what I liked' but there were 2-3 nurses on the ward who made part of my fathers last few hours of life unpleasant, and consequently caused me to go through a very distressing period.

My father was prescribed diamorphine to be administered intravenously prn (as needed). 20 or so hours before he died I asked the night duty nurses to 'please make sure he was given diamorphine if he became restless during the night', I had to leave to get a few hours sleep myself. But one of the nurses said she didn't agree with giving morphine - however I stressed that this was what was prescribed by the consultant & spoke to her colleague as well, I really didn't believe they wouldn't give him morphine if he needed it. When I returned very early in the morning my father was very restless, obviously in pain, could not talk but indicated he knew I was there. One of the same nurse team said to me 'see - he doesn't need diamorphine' & wouldn't give him any although they continued giving him intravenous a/b & heart drugs even though we all knew he was dying. When the Dr came on duty, which was possibly 1-2 hours after I arrived, I complained & they immediately made sure my father was given diamorphine. He was then peaceful & passed away around 12 hours later. 3 hours before he died another nurse gave him a/b & heart drugs & I protested asking why they were doing this to a dying man but that I had to have a battle for him to be given pain relief? Her reply was that some nurses believe that morphine is assisted dying therefore do not wish to give this to patients. I found this appalling that they are allowed to treat a patient according to their own personal views rather than the wishes of the patients family, consultant & doctor. If I had been aware of this the night before my father died I would never have left him - although I would obviously had to cause a scene & call an emergency doctor in to administer the morphine. An hour or so before he died, he was already in a coma, the doctor on duty removed his cannular so that the nurses could not give him anymore a/b or heart drugs. Surely nurses should not be allowed to have these attitudes and opinions over the doctors? I must stress that 99% of the nurse care was excellent and even the 2-3 nurses who I am complaining about cared well for my father in other ways.