"Struggling to get basic care in North Tyneside"

My Father recently died in Rake Lane Hospital on ward 18. Every weekend we could see only 2 nurses looking after 30 patients and no doctors available unless an emergency arose and they get one from A&E.

We had to fight for pain relief all the time for my father waiting 3 and a half hours at one time.

We were promised a side room for my father for 3 days running but my father died on the ward in the dark due to the fact that none of the beds had light bulbs in the over head lamps as they were on order and wouldn't be arriving for another 2 weeks. The nurse searched for a bulb and found one but it only lasted an hour before it went.

I came into visit Dad one day to be asked by my father to find a nurse as he didn't feel he was getting enough oxygen only to find out that the nurse had forgot to switch Dads oxygen back on when she had changed his mask.

Tablets also piled up on the table for two days and a fluid drip stood unconnected to my father for 2 days. We later found out after having a few choice words with the nursing staff that they seemed unaware that my father was unable to eat and drink due to a stomach tumour and a lack of communication which meant he wasn't receiving fluids for two days.

They seemed so short staffed that basic care suffered and if it wasn't for visitors doing jobs, which we witnessed a lot, patients would suffer even more. This was not a one-off as we found this staff shortage every time my Dad was a patient there.

It is hard to believe this hospital is a fairly new hospital having only been open around 14 years. What is most puzzling is some wards are immaculate like the intensive care unit, whilst other wards like ward 18 seem to be forgotten.