Two patients including a man with terminal cancer were left shivering in their hospital beds after nurses refused to give either of them an extra blanket, it has been claimed.
When the family of one man challenged the decision, an apologetic nurse apparently said it was because people had been stealing blankets and pillows and they were being rationed.
The family were also shocked to discover that bed linen was dirty with dried blood and they were also allegedly told by a nurse that cleaners were refusing to tidy up ”in case they caught an infection”.
It has also been claimed that nursing staff were ”too busy” to fix a patient’s drip that had come loose and was leaking fluid.
The claims were made by the father of one of the patients.
On Monday, he took matters into his own hands by taking an extra blanket and pillow to his son, who remains ill in ward 23 in the new £170 million wing at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon, who was there to officially open the wing on Monday, said the alleged incidents were ”completely and utterly unacceptable” and backed NHS Fife’s promise to investigate.
Retired school teacher James Handy (74), of Kilconquhar, said his son William (50) had been admitted to the Vic on Thursday. A diabetic, he suffers from porosis of the stomach, a condition whereby his stomach regularly rejects food.
On Thursday, after seeking medical attention earlier in the week, a GP advised William that he should be admitted to hospital.
When Mr Handy visited on Friday he was shocked to discover that his son’s bed linen was dirty.
He said: ”There was blood on the pillow and blood on the sheets. The blood had turned black it was so old.
”Credit to the nurse. When I raised it she changed it straight away. But there was also debris on the floor, stuff like dust and bits of paper.
”When I complained about this the nurse said the cleaners won’t come in in case they catch an infection.
”Again, credit to the nurse, she picked it up. But I got the impression the system was at breaking point and the nurses, whilst working very hard, were short staffed.”
Mr Handy said his son was transferred to Ward 23 on Saturday. However, on Monday morning he got a phone call from William to say that he had been awake shivering half the night because nurses would not give him an extra blanket or pillow.
”They said he couldn’t get an extra blanket or pillow because people had been stealing them. It was the same for the man in the next bed, who has terminal cancer.”
He added: ”My son still hadn’t had his prognosis and then when his sliding scale (drip) came loose and started to leak at 6am he was told the nurses were too busy to fix it. Surely this could add to the risk of infection?
”It was as if no one was in charge of the ward. He was absolutely frustrated, left lying there. If you ask me new hospital wing or not the system is at breaking point and the wheels are not turning smoothly at all.”
NHS Fife director of nursing Caroline Inwood said they were aware of Mr Handy’s complaint and were investigating.
Ms Sturgeon said: ”Obviously I don’t know all the details on this individual case but if that is the case then it’s completely and utterly unacceptable.
”The bricks and mortars of a hospital is really important but what matters most in the health service is the care that individuals get.”
”I know that the board are aware of this complaint that’s been raised and I would expect them to address that formally with the patient and the family.
”They have to make sure that if things have gone wrong in this instance that they put them right and they put them right quickly to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”