"Treatment of patients"

I am writing to you because I felt dismayed and concerned at what I observed when I was in the Eye Clinic on 13 March with my mother. The first situation was an elderly lady who was unable to get up out of her chair. She had brought her walker but she was not strong enough to get up on her own. She asked a member of staff to help her. This member of staff was in fact helpful, but said quite clearly that they were not meant to lift patients. This lady was elderly and frail, I can't understand why it should be a problem for nursing staff to help her. At the same visit I saw an elderly gentlemen come into the clinic. He had gone upstairs, but was then sent downstairs and looked quite exhausted. He was hunched over and obviously had trouble walking. When the nurse told him that he needed to go back upstairs he asked if he could have a wheelchair. The nurse looked around said sorry there wasn't a chair available and that they had to be booked in advance. She wasn't unkind, but asked the man to do his best and follow her to the lift. It was agonising to watch. The staff in the clinic are friendly and helpful, so my concern is more to do with the facilities. Some chairs with arms would be good so that patients, especially the elderly can lever themselves out more easily. Perhaps also more wheelchairs could be made available. The atmosphere in the clinic is confusing in the extreme - my elderly mother can't fathom out what's going on, and as an observer, although I realise the purpose of the too-ing and fro-ing, it leaves one feeling very uncomfortable - I can't wait to get out and go home!.