"More Fawlty Towers than a Rehab Unit"

My mother had been transferred to St. Vincent's Hospital for Rehab on her broken hip in preparation for sending her back to her nursing home. She was trying to contact me on her room phone all day. It was not working. Finally at 6.30pm the nursing staff had tried to patch her through - she had less than a minute to talk where I expressed my concerns with her wellbeing there and told her we are getting her out - she said she thought the same way, and the phone developed a loud feedback noise and conversation was impossible. I rang the return number and someone attempted to patch me back through. Same response. I did this again 4 times. Finally nursing staff picked up the phone again and said there is a clinical issue that is currently more important and they didn't have the time to assist. This is an old lady unable to fend for herself and relying on others for help. In my opinion, they do not have adequate staff to cover the needs of patients nor do I believe they care.

I had previously told them it is the worst hospital I have ever encountered and this underlines the experience we had so far. As previously stated I came to the hospital at 4pm the day of mum's arrival and left at 5pm. During this time I spent all my time and energy looking for a nurse (ours was on a break apparently) to assist my mum with going to the toilet and seeing to her medication schedule which had been left with Pharmacy since her arrival at 11.00am that morning and not followed up on. 

We found 1 nurse and a nurse in charge for the entire floor at 4pm. My mother's nurse reappeared from her break at approximately 4.30. She said she would look into the missing medication. She asked if I would like to speak to the nurse in charge and I did so. She said this was an oversight - it was the first day and wouldn't happen again. When I backed down and said yes okay, I suppose I understand. I went to walk off and she actually smirked at me as if to say she won that round.

I felt their consultant was no better. When I spoke with him the following morning to arrange a transfer out for mum, citing the lack of professionalism and care, the first thing he said to me was where did I get his number?

Seriously? Is he not accountable for his patients and their care? Is that not his primary concern? He said that as he'd only just visited my mum once and I was complaining already he would approach Sunshine Coast Hospital and hand back her care to them. His words, not mine.

In my opinion, totally appalling from start to end. I felt it was more Faulty Towers than a rehab unit. We are currently in a Brisbane Northside Rehab hospital and she is very well cared for and starting to improve.