A Dundee lecturer has spoken of her anguish after “cruel and inhumane” hospital visiting rules left her mum fighting for her life alone at Christmas.
Jade Kouletakis said she feared she would lose her mother Lulu after she was rushed to Ninewells Hospital suffering from a possible brain haemorrhage on December 23.
Lulu survived and is now back home in Dundee recovering but Jade says the experience left the family traumatised.
‘She would have died alone’
She says the Covid-19 rules preventing all but “essential visits” in Tier 3 areas are too strict.
By the time her mum was admitted to the ward, her brain had swelled to such an extent that the doctors advised she could stop breathing during the night, she said.
“If she had died that night, she would have died alone in a ward full of strangers and masked medical professionals,” said Jade.
“I would have never had the opportunity to hold her in my arms, tell her how much I love her, thank her for blessing me with the gift that she is, and been with her during this time.
“Neither would my father. I believe these rules are cruel and inhumane, both for the patient and the loved ones.”
She said she had to wait in the hospital corridor with her father and Lulu’s husband, Dimitri, while they anxiously awaited news and both Dimitri and Lulu found the situation so difficult they are both suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Rule change
The Abertay University law lecturer says she has written to the Scottish Government seeking a rule change.
She added: “Patients in NHS hospitals are still being kept in shared wards (my mother’s ward had four other patients within it).
“Why can a patient share a ward with perfect strangers, but they cannot have a single loved one by their side?
Why can schools, universities, shops, restaurants and so on remain open for strangers to share a confined space with one another while hospital wards are given such a strict “no visitors” policy to follow?
“I am calling on the Scottish Government to amend its Covid-19 guidelines for NHS hospitals so as to allow at least one loved one (such as the next of kin) to visit a patient in hospital, especially in the case of a life-threatening diagnosis.”
‘We understand it’s distressing’
The Scottish Government could not be reached for comment but its explanation for the measures is mapped out in information published online.
Visiting Guidance for Hospitals in Scotland, published in November, states the rules are “necessary to minimise the spread of Covid-19 and to keep patients, visitors and staff safe.”
Explaining them last week, NHS Tayside’s director of Nursing and Midwifery, Claire Pearce, said: “We understand that not being able to visit family members whilst they are in hospital over Christmas is distressing for many people.
“However, with the virus continuing to circulate widely in our communities, it is vital that we follow Scottish Government guidance on hospital visiting and keep our patients, staff and the public safe.
“We’ll continue to offer virtual visiting for patients using telephones, tablets and laptops to allow people to keep in touch with their loved ones.”
NHS Tayside’s rules on visiting, which are mirrored across mainland Scotland until at least January 18, are available online.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the decision was needed because a new Covid-19 strain is believed to be fuelling faster transmission in areas in southern England.