"simply ghastly- not the first tine either"

What I liked

my brother and I live abroad. We tried to get information about our 90 year old mother urgently admitted to hospital the previous day. The staff nurse on refused to give any information other than that our mother was "settled", and absolutely refused to say what was wrong with her, or give any other information...using the excuse of "confidentiality". She said no phone service was available. A suggestion that my mother be asked for permission for them to speak to me and answer my questions was refused. On ringing later, and speaking to another lady, I was told a mobile phone service WAS available (it turned out to be at 50p plusa minute, no doubt a good earner for the hospital) so was able to talk to my mother. Why was the staff nurse so objectionable and unhelpful, and why did she lie about the availablity of phone contact?

What could be improved

teach staff some manners, and not to go out of their way to be uncompromising, unhelpful and difficult in a worrying situation for close relatives of a patient. One cannot understand the nurse's motive for behaving a she did.