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NHS Fife apologises for failings in patient’s care

The Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, where aspects of care given to a woman who later died have been criticised by a watchdog.
The Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, where aspects of care given to a woman who later died have been criticised by a watchdog.

NHS Fife has been asked to apologise to a grieving daughter over its failings in caring for her late mother.

The woman, only known as Mrs C, raised a number of concerns with the Scottish Ombudsman about the care and treatment her late mother known as Mrs A received while she was admitted to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital on two separate occasions.

Mrs A was taken to hospital suffering from symptoms which suggested she may have had a stroke. Tests showed she had a lung tumour and a biopsy was taken several days later.

She was discharged but was readmitted four days later having suffered a major stroke. She died three months later.

The Ombudsman took independent advice both from a nursing and a medical adviser who is a GP.

The GP identified a number of aspects of Mrs A’s care had fallen below a reasonable standard.

At the time she was first admitted to hospital, he said more consideration could have been given to the stroke diagnosis and treatment.

There was, he added, also an unreasonable delay in the lung biopsy being processed, although the Ombudsman took the view NHS Fife had taken steps to address this.

On the second trip to hospital, the adviser said there had been a lack of communication between specialist stroke staff and the family.

The investigation found that although Mrs A’s medication was managed well on a daily basis, there was a need for more consideration of this.

There had been a delay in providing medication to address her high calcium levels and low mood.

In addition, medication for nausea was stopped and there was no reason given in her medical records.

The GP was critical that there were a number of undated entries about blood results.

The report noted the board had acknowledged Mrs C’s concerns that her mother’s dignity was compromised and that on one occasion she had not been properly clothed.

The nursing adviser was satisfied with measures NHS Fife took to address this.

In relation to the management of incontinence, pain levels, involvement from speech and language therapy and dieticians, along with Mrs A’s care planning and rehab work, there was evidence to support the fact the overall nursing care was of an acceptable standard.

The Ombudsman recommended NHS Fife apologise to Mrs C for the failings he identified and review the comments of the GP adviser and reflect on the decision-making processes used by GPs in assessing Mrs A.

NHS Fife director of acute services Heather Knox said: “I would like to take this opportunity to once again offer my sincerest apologies to Mrs A’s family.

“We continually strive to provide the best care to our patients and as is the case in all instances where improvement can be made, we will evaluate this report to both learn from it and inform patient care in the future.”