"Paliative Care and Hospital Equipment"

My mother was taken into hospital and was given an oxygen mask to wear to help with her breathing. All the staff were very good but unfortunately, the pipe connecting the hose to the facemask kept coming off.

I watched this happen and it wasn't my mum being restless. I sat with her for most of the day, frequently reconnecting the mask. I told the nurses it kept coming off and they just put it back on for her.

After visiting time and as I'd stayed with her the night before as well, I decided to have a good nights sleep and go home - bad decision! We were called in the next morning to say that mum didn't have long to go.

When we came in we were told that the oxygen wouldn't help her. I can't forgive myself for not staying with her that night as I feel that if the hose kept coming off, which it did, and the staff were too busy to reconnect it, this significantly contibuted to her passing.

Surely, connecting the pipe to the mask is an simple engineering fault and the equipment was not fit for purpose. We then had problems finding her a bed away from the busy ward where we could be with her until she passed. I'd even offered to pay for somewhere.

Eventually that day a bed was found on another ward and mums and our needs were greatly catered for. The staff were extremely compassionate, understanding and professional in all they did. I could't fault them at all.