"Left to worry"

First of all I want to say I am quite happy with the standard of medical care my father has recieved so far.

He is 83years old. He was admitted to Whitehaven hospital after various investigative procedures revealed a tumour in his bladder. After a week of indecision and being told what was to happen to him only for it to change hourly or daily, he was eventually transfered to Carlisle hospital in October to Beech ward. He was operated on the next morning.

We visited him that afternoon, that evening, again the same the next day and made a number of telephone calls, on each occassion we asked what procedures had been done on my father, what the outcome was and what the future held for him. At no time did any doctor/consultant make themselves available to or did the ward staff provide any information to my family to eleviate our obvious concerns. Not until two days after his operation did I see someone who made me aware of the facts regarding my father.

I feel some of your staff have treated us with a lack of respect, a total disregard for our concerns and that of my father. At this extremly stressful time a little understanding and a basic duty of care towards us would have been appreciated. I am bitterly disappointed that the consulted couldn`t find the time to talk to us.

For the record, my father had the tumour removed but it was discovered he also has prostrate cancer. I have been told the outcome is terminal.