A DISGUSTED pensioner says she saw staff treating an elderly patient with contempt at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Podsmead resident Jacqueline Watts, 75, was admitted herself with a slight stroke when she witnessed the humiliation of a 90-year-old woman.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, that runs the Royal, has now launched an investigation.
It said is took such allegations "extremely seriously".
Mrs Watts said she was in the hospital's Ward 2A on Friday when the older woman in the bed opposite needed the toilet.
Mrs Watts said the other lady couldn't get out of bed on her own to visit the toilet.
"She was told she would have to wait because the nurse was too busy. This dear lady was ringing the bell and calling her for ages. She was crying she couldn't wait any longer," Mrs Watts said.
"I went to ask the nurse to please see to her as it was going to end with the lady being humiliated. Her reply was: 'Well it will be too late then won't it, so it won't matter'."
Mrs Watts said she was disgusted. "How dare one human being treat another like this. It's worse than most would treat an animal."
Mrs Watts said she was very impressed with the new hospital, but saddened that staff were "still treating elderly patients with contempt".
She said: "The poor lady was crying with shame, she was also in a lot of pain. It was painful to move her by the time they got round to seeing to her."
Disgusted
When she returned home Mrs Watts said her cleaning lady told her of an identical incident on another ward the week before.
"I wonder how many more are treated in this manner and afraid to speak up. I am not and am disgusted, I don't make idle threats," Mrs Watts said.
The nurse involved was unable to leave the drugs trolley to help the elderly patient, who would be 91 in a few weeks, Mrs Watts said.
"She was doing something in the corridor to the drugs trolley and she was on her own and couldn't leave the trolley. I appreciate that, but there is a lock on it and she was not giving out any drugs at the time, just looking in."
A spokeswoman for the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the claims Mrs Watts made were being investigated.
"We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously," she said.
"The trust recognises that nursing care is one of the most important issues for patients who come to us for care and treatment.
"As a trust we expect our staff to respect patients' rights to privacy and dignity and we continue to work hard to ensure that there is a culture in both our hospitals which values these rights and ensure a high standard of nursing care is provided at all times."
source: thisisgloucestershire.co.uk
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