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SOUTHAMPTON General Hospital has an excellent rate of success, but one area of neglect is the patient who is dying. A relative of mine sat by the bedside of his ageing parent in a single room for two nights.

Of course, the room was very hot, but apart from very busy night nurses popping in to look at the patient, the son was not offered a glass of water, or indeed, a cup of tea, and more importantly there appeared to be no area to get refreshments during the night, not even a drinks machine working.

One son and his wife took it in turns to be by the bedside and the other lay on the floor on their coats to sleep for a while. No extra bed or reclining chair to help grieving relatives get through the night.

No doubt this may be an exception, but please hospital chiefs, afford a little thought into caring for the relatives, How simple is it to have a drinks machine and a kick-out reclining chair in every single room?

J MOORBY (by e-mail).

Julie Dawes, associate director of nursing, replies: "I am very concerned to hear about this family's experience, which appears to fall well below the standards we would normally expect to provide.

"We have overnight facilities, although some visitors prefer to stay at the patient's bedside, in which case we should be able to provide a comfortable chair and drinks. I would urge the family concerned to make contact so I can investigate exactly what happened.''

10:00am Saturday 10th May 2008

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