The Royal Free Hospital

• WE understand the stresses and strains that the Royal Free Hospital staff have been under during this pandemic and we sincerely thank them for their dedication.

However I want to highlight a problem which my husband and I have experienced during his last admission; that being lack of communication with the patient’s family.

It certainly added to the stress when one could not get through on the ward phone or to get to speak to a person who knew my husband’s case.

He needed to be walked every day but, despite me telling the staff, he wasn’t. And he had a catheter attached, so when he came home he just couldn’t walk at all.

My husband was isolated in a single room, which may have protected him from Covid-19 but it did nothing for his dementia and the catheter upset him greatly. He wanted to use a toilet.

The hospital had to infuse a dietetic because his heart is weak but no account was taken for his dementia, his swallowing difficulties, balance and walking, and he came home a frail and sad man.

I am lucky enough to have a good team around me at home so, two weeks on, he is walking, exercising, and is trying to write his family history .

I have written to the patient advice and liaison service and chief executive, not just for us but in the hope they hear about our experience and listen better to patients.

We are still waiting our discharge letter or any an appointment for my husband’s catheter to be removed. We gave up waiting and got the catheter removed independently. We don’t wish this to happen to any other patient.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED, NW3