The Physical Disability Rehabilitation Unit (PDRU) is located at the Southern General Hospital.
The unit provides specialist neurorehabilitation to people with a range of neurologically disabling conditions including acquired brain injury.

My son was left in a wheelchair for up to 11 hours at a time. Once he asked to be put back to bed because of lower back pain. On another occasion he was asked to report for physiotherapy but had to wait 30 minutes before anyone came. Then only a machine to assist with hand massage was offered, being told it was now "too late to use the standing frame".

A "goal setting" meeting arranged 2 weeks after admission was in fact a meeting to arrange discharge, no goals having been set or even mentioned. No physiotherapist from the hospital was present. When asked the reason for discharge we were told that the consultant had discussed this with the patient that morning. However he had only said Hello, and had not otherwise spoken to him for several days. Despite requests, no arrangement was made for any follow-up, and no physiotherapy offered.

When asked why so little physiotherapy had been given we were told by the nurse that this was due to a bowel management problem - caused by "refusing medication". However he had never refused medication, although on one occasion when offered medication much earlier than usual he had pointed this out. On the first evening in hospital he was prescribed an incorrect dose. He pointed this out. Three weeks later the dosage had still not been corrected on the ward's records.

Staff tended to 'talk over' him as if he didn't exist. There appeared to be no designated nurse or physiotherapist that we could discuss matters with. Family and patient concerns were generally met with glib responses, always denying any mistakes and forestalling discussion with inaccurate facts. My son was telephoned at home, without any explanation, to say that his keyworker at the Unit was no longer to be contacted.

The response to my complaints infuriated me! The response appears to be a summary of the notes kept while I was in hospital, and could have been written by any member of staff. I don't feel my complaint was taken seriously, there was no acknowledgement in the letter that anything was/is wrong with PDRU, and there was cetainly no indication of any changes to their current structure. I have already told my consultant that under no circumstances has he to admit to this Unit again!

I would not describe my medication as being "carefully monitored". On two separate occasions a nurse brought me a wrong dose, but did not feel it necessary to take a note of this. A consultant neurologist saw me on a couple of occasions, and his input was far more useful to me than the consultant in PDRU. He did everything possible for me when I was in PDRU, and I really appreciated all his help.

I am an independent person, and when I want help I will ask for it. I want to do as much as I can for as long as I can - even if it takes me time to do this. I am not an invalid yet, and do not require to be pushed about in a wheelchair. I therefore take particular exception to the sentence "your family expressed concerns about your unwillingness to accept help when needed".

It would also be better if they treated each person as an individual and not a nuisance. And as far as food is concerned, ask the managers to have the same meals as PDRU and see how long it takes her to send out for a Take Away!