"The experience has been Traumatic for..."

What could be improved

My father was admitted to Frenchay after collapsing with severe pain from Gallstones, he has been having this problem for over 18months and has had various appointments for an operation cancelled along with various emergency admissions .

He was kept in ward 107 (which I believe to be an assessment ward with a 24 hr limit) for over a week and was constantly given conflicting information as to treatments. For example one day I rang up to enquire and was told he was prepped for an op and then an hour later told that this was not the case and no operation was planned.

Due to the conflicting information my mother asked to speak to the Doctor/Surgeon in charge and was told oK but would have to wait, after 2 hours no one had appeared and she had to leave to go to an appointment with her cardiologist. She told the staff and they took her mobile number and said that the doctor would call her no such call was ever made!.

Finally we were told that he would have to wait until an existing op appointment on 25th July but my mother was promised that he would not be sent home before that date because of the need for intravenous antibiotics and morphine for the pain. .

Next day she was called and told to pick him up which she did that pm after complaining to ward staff. My father was not given any medication to deal with any further pain.

My father was taken back into hospital (this time RUH) by ambulance the same evening!!!

Again he was treated for pain and released but told it was probable that he would have to be readmitted again as an emergency before the operation date.

I can not believe that this can be appropriate treatment (or indeed Cost effective) he has now been ambulanced into various hospitals on more than 5 occasions!