A Fife family has hit out after an 86-year-old woman who was saved by paramedics following three cardiac arrests was put in a Covid-19 ward – despite showing no symptoms of the virus.
The woman’s daughter-in-law contacted The Courier to raise concerns about her treatment at Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital on Friday, after she had been resuscitated following heart failure.
The patient spent the day in the so-called red zone admissions unit ward before being transferred to ward 51 – a specialist Covid-19 ward – the following evening due to an apparent lack of beds.
The family say they have asked for her to be moved but this has not been possible.
They say they have been told they will have to self-isolate at home for two weeks if they visit her in the red zone.
The daughter-in-law, who does not want to be named, said she was worried about the risk to the Kirkcaldy OAP’s health but also her own, since she is receiving chemotherapy.
“Apparently there were no available beds in the hospital and I assume this includes Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline too,” she said.
“She doesn’t have and wasn’t suspected as having Covid and she has been almost shielding since mid-March.”
She said the woman’s three sons, including her husband, had been visiting but he did not feel comfortable continuing due to their own home situation.
“He and I are strictly shielding and have been doing so since mid-March as I have fortnightly chemotherapy,” she said.
“The brothers have been told because she’s in a red zone, they must socially isolate for two weeks at home – I’m guessing because they’re now deemed to be at risk of Covid.
“Ironically, one of the sons works at the hospital in portering but was told he didn’t need to isolate. Presumably, this now puts the patients he escorts at risk too?”
A spokesperson for NHS Fife said it was unable to comment on the care of individual patients for reasons of confidentiality, but did say representatives had met with the family to discuss their concerns.
The spokesperson added: “In March this year a series of measures were implemented in hospitals in Fife, as they were elsewhere in the country, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading within our hospitals. These measures remain largely in place.
“Bed occupancy at the Victoria Hospital remains below normal levels and we have retained capacity ahead of any potential future increase in the numbers of patients requiring care for COVID-19.
“Patient safety is our highest priority and the decisions taken in the care of all patients are based on their individual clinical needs.”
