"My mothers experience in a busy A&E"

My mother is 91 and lives in a Care Home in Boston, Lincs. Her surgery decided that she needed a blood transfusion as she was severely anemic and this could not be done in the home but had to be done at the Pilgrim. I was concerned about her going to the Pilgrim after a bad experience on Ward 6 on a previous stay in hospital.

It was arranged that my mother would be picked up by ambulance at 10. 30  and that the blood transfusion would be done in A & E and she would be back the same day. My mother is paralyzed down her right side due to a stroke and is totally bedridden, dependent on total care and can only eat pureed food.

I was working away that day so a staff member accompanied my mother in the ambulance which arrived on time to take them to A & E. I was called by the home at 5 pm to say they were still in A & E and could I relieve Tina, who was with my mother.

I drove straight to the hospital and arrived approx 5. 30. My mother had been in A & E at that time for 7 hours. Tina had found a yoghurt for her at approx 1pm but she had not had any other food. She was on a drip for fluid. I asked several nurses what was happening and expressed my concern that my mother had had only one yogurt all day!

Every one of them said that the bloods were being chased up and that there was no food in A & E but they would sort this out. I felt like I zero results from any of them and they never returned.

I was getting very concerned for my mother as it was now 9 1/2 hours in this department and getting no results from anyone! I was very distressed in the corridor and a consultant asked why. I told her and she immediately took action. Within 15 minutes the bloods were being re done...apparently the initial blood take had not been enough (5 hours earlier) but the blood department had not informed A & E (so much for 'chasing up the bloods' ! ).

Hot soup and yogurts arrived and my mother ate everything..she was starving! ! Also within 25 minutes a bed was found and after I insisted her pad was changed so was she was clean and comfortable she was taken to the Acute Medical Unit finally!

Altogether my mother spent almost 11 hours on A & E with no food and until the lovely consultant stepped in (I'm so sorry I didn't get her name) I felt like nobody cared.

I really appreciate how busy they were that day but in my view there seemed to be no organisation or direction in the the time I was there and it was so busy that no one seemed to know what to do next.

My own observations obviously, but I know my 91 year old mother was left for almost 11 hours with one yogurt early morning and staff doing nothing despite my concerns and saying they didn't have any facilities for feeding someone who had to have pureed food and clearly not  'chasing the blood results'.

I'm very, very unhappy about this experience as my mother came back three days later in a much worse condition than she arrived in A & E. I am seriously considering making the media aware of this. I really cannot believe what i feel was a lack of care and consideration from your staff in A &E for my mother.