Greta Main's John Schroeder said the level of care his 72-year-old wife Elizabeth had received in Kurri Kurri Hospital's rehabilitation unit was simply "not good enough" amid a series of complaints.

HNEH Lower Hunter Sector general manager Di Peers acknowledged the distress caused to Mrs Schroeder, and vowed to further individualise her care after receiving the feedback.

Among other things, Mrs Schroeder suffered a fall and was not able to reach the emergency button after being left alone to dress herself one Saturday morning.

"She was left laying on the floor semi-naked for more than half an hour because she couldn't reach the emergency buzzer," Mr Schroeder said.

Mrs Schroeder was also taken to the dining room for dinner one Friday night, but her husband said she was then left to her own devices to open a container of hot soup.

"She spilled it on her left hand," he said. "They had to put burn dressings on it."

And to top it off, Mr Schroeder said his wife asked to go to the toilet on the way to one of her physiotherapy sessions, but was refused so she had to urinate in her pull-up and go through the session before being changed.

"It's just not good enough," Mr Schroeder said.

"It's demeaning and degrading for older people who can't hold on."

Ms Peers said she was sorry to hear that some aspects of the care Mrs Schroeder received caused her distress and did not meet her expectations.

Ms Peers said stroke patients in the rehab unit had individualised care plans which assessed the level of nursing support and supervision required for daily tasks such as dining and going to the bathroom.

"While patient safety is always the first consideration, it is also important to ensure patients are given as much independence as possible so they are able to reach their rehabilitation goals and are discharged home with confidence," she said.

"Mrs Schroeder was left alone for only a short period of time in her ensuite to give her privacy while she used the amenities. Nursing staff returned to check on Mrs Schroeder and responded immediately when it was discovered she had fallen.

"We have taken the feedback from Mr and Mrs Schroeder on board and will further individualise the care she receives at the unit.

"We are committed to providing the best possible care to our community and continue to review the way we work to further improve patient services and appreciate feedback from patients and their families."

Following the incidents, Mr Schroeder said his family tried to be at the hospital around dinner time to help Mrs Schroeder eat and also had to help her through her exercises on weekends because the hospital did not have physiotherapists staffed on Saturdays and Sundays.

"She's not very happy," Mr Schroeder said. "I'm sitting here worrying all the time."

Ms Peers said like all Local Health Districts, HNEH was required to staff hospital wards in accordance with the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award and Nursing Hours Per Patient Day. "Kurri Kurri Hospital is meeting its award requirements," she said.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers NSW Upper House MLC Mark Banasiak said he had received complaints about the lack of staffing at Kurri Kurri Hospital.

"Our party receives regular complaints about lack of staffing in country hospitals, particularly on weekends," Mr Banasiak said.

"It's as if rural people now have to make sure they only get sick from Monday to Friday. Doctors and nurses are doing their best, but patients' lives are put at risk because wards are not properly staffed."