Families 'shocked' at lack of communication from hospitals during pandemic

"Families said they were calling the hospital repeatedly to get an update on their loved one; however, calls were rarely answered, or they would be placed on hold and the calls would be cut off," the Patient Advocacy Service report said.

Some families were unaware of how ill their loved ones were in hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic, and in some cases shocked to learn they were dying, a report has found.

Almost 40% of people who contacted the Patient Advocacy Service during the pandemic had difficulty communicating with healthcare units in hospitals.