"pancreatic cancer - palliative care"

My Aunt had pancreatic surgery in February for a cancerous growth. The care following this in HDU was excellent though she was only on this for a few days. She was transferred onto one of the C wards which was ok. She then went home but unfortunately was very ill again in April and a Scan showed that the cancer had returned to her pancreas and had also spread to her liver. She was readmitted to Ward F6 on 22.04.14 and she had to have a stent and pipes put in her to remove the bile. I visited her numerous times and the everyday staff on the ward were good but unfortunately when I visited her on the bank holiday weekend of 25.05.14 I could not believe different the staff then were. There were only 2 qualified staff on the ward (I was told this by one of them who was very rude and arrogant). When I arrived on the above date my Aunt told me that she had asked half an hour ago for some Morphine and for her pillows to be altered as she felt that she was falling down the bed (she was unable to move herself due to the pain and drains in her) but was told that they were very busy and they would come to her when they could. I arrived at 2.30 and just after 4.00 pm a nurse came to look at her pillows. I told her not to bother as I had rearranged them myself which took me all of a couple of seconds. My Aunt tried to tell me that the senior nurse was not very nice and the nurse in question was walking past and came over and stated that they were very short staffed and that she would have to wait till they had time to give her the Morphine (I was appalled and should have said something at the time and wished now that I had taken her name). It was another 10 minutes before the 2 nurses came to give her some Morphine which was done very abruptly with no compassion or understanding. My Aunt was obviously very upset at her treatment and was obviously suffering badly with the pain even though she had a Morphine tablet am and pm she needed the liquid Morphine throughout the day also. My Aunt was discharged 2 days later to Bolton Hospice where the care was second to none and she unfortunately died 2 days later on 29.05.14. My Aunt was obviously in the end stage of cancer when she was treated appallingly by the 2 members of staff who were on the ward during the day of Sunday 25.05.14 and I now regret that I didn't say something to them on that day, something that I will now regret all my life.