"Poor nursing and after care for my mum in Burnley"

My mother is currently on ward 21 recovering from a fall which resulted in two broken legs. That was four weeks ago and the surgical treatment she received was excellent, as was the dignity and care shown to her by A and E staff, although they did fail to spot one of her broken bones!

However since then we have seen a dramatic decline in my mother's physical and mental state, largely through the lack of basic care on the ward.

Patients appear to be left with food and drinks in front of them with most staff taking little action if they fail to eat or drink, other than to record that fact on a chart.

My mother has been left sitting on a chair during the day, with her nightie up around her thighs, sometimes with a blanket on, sometimes not - what dignity is that for a woman of any age, never mind an 84 year old.

But the final straw came yesterday when we attended a meeting to discuss her discharge and were told that new extended care measures had been put in place, so new in fact that the staff, helpful as they were, could not tell us what will happen to my mother if, as it would appear, she fails to meet either the extended care criteria, or access onto an intermediate rehabilitation programme.

What is happening to the NHS that we can have such excellent medical care on the one hand and such appalling follow-up action on the other.

Burnley General Hospital praises itself for the dignified care it gives patients, well I am sorry, but thats not been my experience.

By the way, this is not a general rant against the NHS, my mother received excellent care last year in a ward for the elderly (12?) and follow-up rehabilitation at Pendle Community Hospital.

Neither of those thought it reasonable for an old lady to have to wait 10 minutes for a bed pan - and surely other wards should adopt the same policy.

Yours

Name withheld