NHS Grampian apologises after dementia patient 'left without food or water'

A health board has apologised after a dying dementia patient was left “without food or water”.

The family of a patient, described as ‘A’, complained that they were not treated with “dignity” by NHS Grampian after being admitted to hospital following a fall at a care home before their death several weeks later.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman upheld the complaint and found “gaps in record-keeping in relation to food and fluid intake” and failure to provide evidence of the patient being cared for in a “dignified and respectful manner”.

The review found that comfort rounds were not provided as frequently as required, with the patient suffering from bed sores.

Recommendations were made to the board and an apology has been issued to the patient’s family.

NHS Grampian admitted the care provided to the patient fell short of their own standards.

They provided SPSO with a detailed action plan which they were implementing in response to the failings that they had identified.

The SPSO report stated: “We found that the board’s action plan did not adequately address the failings in this case and we therefore made our own recommendations.”

An NHS Grampian spokesperson said: “We accept the Ombudsman’s findings in this case and have undertaken to complete all the recommendations laid out.

“We wrote to C and their family last month to formally apologise, and we would take this opportunity to apologise again, publicly.

“The care we provided to A fell short of our own standards.”