Decision Report 201305567

Summary

Mr C suffers from cerebral palsy, has a history of bladder problems and is confined to a wheelchair. He was admitted to the Southern General Hospital with swollen feet, pain and discomfort. Mr C said that during his admission he was offered no practical nursing care at all and his friend, an elderly woman, had to help him on the ward and undress him for an examination. He said he was then left unwashed and unchanged throughout his two-day hospital stay and his visitors had to help with all his personal care needs. He said he asked nursing staff for assistance to shower the morning after his admission, but this was refused. Mr C complained about the standard of nursing care he received, saying that he was not treated with dignity and respect.

We took independent advice from our nursing adviser. We found that the evidence from the medical records indicated that Mr C had an assisted wash just once during admission, which was not reasonable. We also found that nursing staff failed to document what care had been given and had failed to personalise care for Mr C as a patient with specific disabilities. However, as the board had already taken action to address the complaint and ensure improvements, we made no recommendations.