Hi James and welcome to GoY. Good thing I have a laptop and could turn the picture right side up! Your rhododendron certainly looks very unhappy. Is it in the ground or in a pot? Unless you have acidic soil you will need to use ericaceous compost or it will not thrive. Looking at the soil I can see it seems to be thin and impoverished, but it is difficult to tell from a photo. Also the rhodo. is very close to that brick wall. How long has it been in that position?

If the buds are going brown and dry, make sure that you pick them off and bin them, not compost them, as this can spread any diseases around the garden. Maybe there is lime washing out of the wall from the mortar? Give a feed with a food suitable for ericaceous plants (lime haters), read the labels or ask at a good garden centre. Then mulch with garden compost. Could it be wind damage over the wall?

This could be the effect of the winter we have just experienced if your rhodo is in an exposed position. If this is the case, it needs lots of tlc this year, with shade from hot sun, a good feed and making sure the soil remains moist but not waterlogged