"Concerns regarding standards"

My frail, elderly, palliative Dad was admitted to Ward 23 at Royal Alexandra Infirmary in Paisley with a broken hip. It was decided due to comorbidities an operation was not the right thing for him, which as a family we agreed with.

I want to say that apart from 2 HCSW's and 1 student nurse, all the staff were lovely. That, unfortunately is the only positive experience, as a family we feel we can say.

I will list our concerns, in the hope that someone from the hospital will speak to us directly, and allow us to go into more detail:

1. RN vaping at the nurses station. Controlled drug given to my Dad, by only one RN - also just left it on his table! I on several occasions during my visit that day asked if someone could update me on my Dad, and was told by everyone - including a Dr - that they don't work here.

2. Went in to see my Dad about 11:00 - he appeared heavily sedated and unrousable, was told my an RN in blue jogging bottoms and no face mask  that he had a very unsettled night and had been given sedation. 2 patients in the room disputed this and told me he had been unsettled around 05:00, he had been given something and had been like that since - no breakfast, no meds, no care. They were concerned about him, and also told me that the staff on overnight had been awful to them all. I again asked for an update, to be told by the same nurse - oh your Dad is making a good recovery from his operation - he hadn't had an operation!

2 HCSW's then came to sit him up for his lunch and we were told by an extremely rude HCSW that it was protected meal times and we were not allowed in - your website clearly states that mealtimes are a social occasion and visitors are welcome - so again no food, fluid or nutrition for my Dad. His buzzer was hanging over a light so even if he had been able he could not have buzzed for help. I got more information and support from the other patients in the room than the staff.

My daughter and I left extremely upset and distressed regarding the standard of care my Dad was receiving. Not one member of the team, apart from the Consultant looking after my Dad, medical team and the amazing Palliative Care Consultant  introduced themselves - what has happened to "My name is"? I also witnessed 2 domestics, I presume, as they were in their own clothes, cleaning the walls outside the ward - the language they were using was foul!

3. I had driven from Aberdeen, arriving at 09:30 to find my Dad half out his bed, bottom sheet off the bed, bed soaked in urine and extremely distressed. 2 physios had just walked past him and made no attempt to help or get help for him. Under the bed were empty tins of clinisan and a bit of an incontinence pad. How distressing and upsetting to witness this.

I asked for help and 2 HCSW's came to attend to him - one with their fleece on! They had sat him up, but he was still very distressed and I enquired about his pain control. I was assured he had had around 20 minutes prior to this. 2 HCSW's came to wash him and asked me to leave and they would come and get me. Around 30 minutes later I went back in, my Dad had been washed - to be met by a student nurse who put their hand up to stop me and tell me I can't come in here, the patients are being washed. How disrespectful, inappropriate and unnecessary!! A HCSW then flung back the curtains from the bed opposite to give me a lecture on why I should not be visiting! I had told them, I had phoned and asked if it was OK to come in. Was told again by the student that I can't be here. An FY1 then approached and gave my Dad his controlled drug on their own. 

I did get to speak to the SCN, but felt so upset, distressed and scared to raise these issues. I left extremely upset again and felt that I had let my Dad down by not speaking up. As a family, we decided to wait until he was moved to the hospice to raise our concerns.

Ward 23 staff, on the whole were lovely, but we have great concerns regarding the standards of care, inconsistent information safety concerns - CD's being administered with only one person, and infection and prevention control measures