"Hard-working staff trying to cope but without..."

Anything else?

When your ward staff contact relatives/next-of-kin, it would be nice if they began their phone call by identifying themselves as Macc. Hospital before asking for a person by name. We recently had cause to act as intermediaries between an elderly woman and her family who live miles away and had no idea when the phone rang to whom we were speaking. As we are constantly being spammed by various companies offering everything from insulation to viagra, and despite being registered with the TPS, we are always cagey when an unidentified caller asks for us by name and when it's some poor, overworked nurse calling to give us news, bad or good, it must seem very odd to them to be cross-examined regarding their purpose!

'Good Morning. It's Staff Nurse ****** here from Macc. Hospital. May I speak with.....'

Easy. And professional.