Patient discharged from hospital left trapped upstairs alone all night as NHS Fife ordered to apologise

A Scottish health board has been ordered to apologise after a patient was left trapped upstairs in their home after being discharged from hospital.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) upheld a complaint against NHS Fife made by C regarding the care their parent A had received.

The complaint came after A was discharged from Queen Margaret Hospital in Dumfermline following an operation.

C complained that the discharge was “rushed and not properly planned”, with a lack of rehabilitation prior to discharge.

In addition, there was a lack of home assessment and insufficient planning and communication to ensure A would be comfortable in their own home post-surgery.

The SPSO took advice from a nursing adviser and found that A’s mobility had not been thoroughly assessed.

The decision stated: “A was discharged home and left alone upstairs overnight when they were not able to safely manage the stairs.

“While there appeared to have been reasonable rehabilitation input from therapy staff while on the ward, there was little evidence of ward staff having supported A with mobilising between therapy sessions.

“We were concerned that staff appeared to have relied on the fact C agreed to go ahead with the planned discharge when asked on the morning of discharge.”

In conclusion, the SPSO made clear that the discharge had not been reasonable, and while NHS Fife did accept some of its failings, it did not take responsibility.

NHS Fife was asked by the SPSO to apologised to the patient’s family and made recommendations on improving coordination of patient discharges, especially those with mobility issues.

A spokesperson for NHS Fife said: “We accept the findings of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and apologise for the shortcomings in care identified in this case.

“We can confirm that we have issued a formal apology to the patient and have taken steps to address the Ombudsman’s recommendations.

“As with all feedback that we receive, we carefully review the findings to ensure that any learning is shared, and improvements are made to support the ongoing delivery of safe, effective care.”