NHS Tayside apologise to family for bungled cancer care

Dec 4 2009

THE chief executive of Tayside NHS has been asked to apologise directly to the family of a terminal cancer patient after the Ombudsman upheld a catalogue of complaints regarding his treatment and care.

The wife and daughter of the patient, identified only as Mr A, complained to Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Jim Martin.

Mr A was admitted to hospital where he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was given only a short time to live.

His daughter, Miss C, and his wife, Mrs A, raised a number of “significant concerns” about the care and treatment that he received in hospital in the days leading up to his death, according the Ombudsman’s report.

They were “particularly concerned” that the board had delivered sub-standard care to Mr A in a number of important respects such as assistance with feeding, hygiene, cleanliness, management of symptoms and pain, as well as failing to accord him dignity and respect.

They also complained that hospital staff failed to adequately communicate with Mr A and his family about palliative care – or to properly manage his transfer to a hospice.

Miss C was also unhappy with the handling of her complaint.

In his report, Mr Martin concluded: “I found a number of shortcomings that meant that Mr A’s overall care and treatment was inadequate and lacked dignity. I upheld all of these complaints.”

Mr Martin recommended that the board review the following policies:

l Documentation of the administration of controlled drugs and patient symptom control.

l The insertion of chest drains.

l The documentation of complications during procedures such as chest drains.

“I recommended that they also review their support to foundation level doctors in the management of patients at the end of life.

“Finally,” added Mr Martin, “I recommended that the chief executive (Professor Tony Wells) apologise directly to Mrs A and Miss C for the failings identified in this report and that the board keep me informed of progress towards achieving the goals of the action plan that they implemented as a result of those complaints.

A spokesperson for Tayside Health Board said yesterday that they had apologised to the family.

“As stated in the report, we have also accepted the recommendations and will act them on them accordingly.”