"Treated like a number and not a person"

I am a disabled lady and my husband is my carer. I am able to walk very short distances with my stick but, usually use a wheel chair. I find it hard to balance on my feet for a long period of time. I have had lymphoma and had 8 courses of chemotherapy and I am now in remission, but it has left my immune system very weak and I have lost a lot of weight. I had been seeing a consultant because of an infection in my lung and he admitted me into hospital to have a course if anti-biotics. I arrived on the 3rd Feb at 2.00pm and my husband and I were left in a side room until about 5.00pm. It was freezing cold and no one else cane to explain to us what was happening. It was freezing cold even though I had my coat and scarf on. At 5.00pm a doctor came and tried to attach a tube into my vein for the intravenous drip for the anti-biotics. He tried several times and at one point I screamed because he was hurting me. My veins had collapsed because of having had cancer. Eventually he got the tube into the part of my hand where it bends and it was very uncomfortable.

They then took me to a side ward for a while. At 6.00pm I was told that they were moving me onto a ward with 4 other women. 12.00pm at night I eventually started the anti-biotics when they came and completed the fitting of the intravenous drip.

I found it very hard to sleep most nights the lady opposite me was screaming for help and the nurses on most occasions ignored her and told her to get up and do things herself. I felt they were rude to her on may occasions and it disturbed the rest of us every night.

I received little help from the nurses. I walked to the bathroom with my stick. They left a chair there my bag of toiletries and left me to it. I am usually helped by my husband to wash as I can often loose my balance when standing up.

I felt I was treated like a number and not a person, the whole attitude of the staff was very uncaring and rude. I am going to be calling the PALS at Chorley Hospital to discuss the care I received with them.