NHS Borders apologises to widow after cancer patient left in 'unnecessary pain' for almost four months

An NHS board has been ordered to apologise after nurses left a dying cancer patient in “unnecessary pain” on a ward for almost four months.

The patient, who had prostate cancer that had spread to his bones and spine, was admitted to hospital for 24-hour palliative care in May 2023.

An investigation by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman found that the patient was repeatedly denied pain relief during the 16 weeks he spent on a medical ward.

NHS Borders has now been ordered to apologise to the man’s widow for the failings in its nursing care, treatment and complaint handling.

‘Serious clinical failings’

Ward staff only assessed the man as requiring pain relief on two occasions during his stay, the report concluded.

It revealed that during his care, the ward had run out of pain relief medication, keys could not be accessed for opening the drug cabinet, and there were instances when the man took the wrong medication.

On one occasion, he was able to leave the ward and hospital grounds and managed to get on a bus.

An investigation identified “serious clinical failings which led to a significant personal injustice to a vulnerable person”.

“The patient was cognitively impaired and their pain was not adequately assessed or managed, even though they were admitted for pain management arising from metastatic prostate cancer and had complex pain needs”, the SPSO investigation outlined.

“This meant the patient was left in unnecessary pain. Nursing staff did not follow specialist advice and instruction in managing the patient and their pain.”

The SPSO probe also found that NHS Borders further failed to “ensure the complaint response was accurate and substantiated by clinical records.”

“Documentation and record keeping were poor and fell below an acceptable standard”, the report added.

The health authority has now been ordered to fully apologise for the failings in its nursing care, treatment, and complaint handling.

It will also have to provide evidence that all staff are competent in the use of pain assessment tools, that all patients will now receive person-centred care, and that advice from family members and specialists will be considered.

An NHS Borders spokesperson said: “The quality of care that A received was not of the standard we expect for our patients. We have accepted the recommendations identified in full and are making the changes required so that similar experiences are avoided in the future.

“We are sincerely sorry for the effect that this had on A, C and their family. We have offered a full apology to C and their family.”