Staffing levels led to 'multiple failings' in care of patient who broke hip in hospital fall

An NHS health board has admitted to multiple failings in the care of a patient who lost weight, struggled to eat, and fell multiple times before their death.

The NHS Lothian patient was suffering from delirium and poor mobility, and they experienced a number of falls while in hospital, which resulted in a broken hip requiring surgery.

The watchdog found that the care provided was “inadequate and inconsistent,” and did not meet the required standard.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) received a complaint from the patient’s child, which has been upheld.

In response, the NHS Lothian agreed that there had been “multiple failings” around the management of the parents’ diet and weight loss.

The health board also acknowledged that due to staffing levels, the patient “did not receive the level of care that they should have”.

The Ombudsman took independent advice from a nursing adviser and found that basic nursing care “could not be evidenced” in this case.

“We found that the care provided to [the patient] was inadequate and inconsistent and was not provided to the standard required,” the SPSO said.

NHS Lothian nurse director Alison Macdonald said: “We extend our sincere condolences to the family involved and have apologised to them for the failings in this case.

“We fully accepted the recommendations from the Ombudsman and have already implemented urgent actions to ensure that high levels of care are provided at all times and reinforced the importance of nursing documentation among our teams.”