Stories of appalling hospital standards have been widespread in the press of late, with some patients being denied even the most basic care.
At the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, an elderly woman was “left to die in squalor without basic human dignity”. According to Tracey Holmes, her 79 year old mother Sandra Ashton was left “cold and desperate…her room was a tip and she was extremely distressed and so desperately thirsty”.
Doctors also failed to notice that she had cancer and instead treated her for pneumonia. The family only discovered this after Mrs Ashton’s death in April 2012 when it was mentioned in passing by a junior doctor. A formal letter of complaint was lodged, but this was ignored by the head nurse.
Since speaking out about her mother’s care, Mrs Holmes has heard from more than 100 other people who have had similar experiences at the same hospital.
In North Wales, an 81 year old woman died of hospital acquired infection C. Difficile, despite complaining about poor standards of hygiene. At least seven patients who died at the Glan Clwyd hospital between January and May 2013 were found to be carrying the bug.
It has also been recently announced that Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust will face prosecution over a patient who died from a diabetic coma. Gillian Astbury, 66, was known to be a diabetic when she was admitted to Stafford Hospital in 2007. But two nurses failed to spot that she needed insulin, causing her to fall into a diabetic coma and die. They have since been found guilty of misconduct.
Mrs Astbury’s daughter, Catherine Beeson, said: “I was shocked to get that call that evening. I was disbelieving. How could they miss she needed insulin? It’s just basic care.”
Making a medical negligence claim
If you or a member of your family has been affected by substandard hospital care, get in touch with a solicitor to discuss your options, as you could be entitled to pursue a claim against the hospital in question. Contact us at Glynns to find out more.
Share Article With:
|
|
|
|
|
|
