Patient with rare brain condition received 'unprofessional' treatment from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Hospital staff were “unprofessional”, “unempathetic” and “impatient” towards a patient with a rare brain condition.

The patient was left feeling “anxious” about future hospital care after the way there were treated during two admissions in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

They have a demyelination condition, a disease which causes the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed, leading to difficulty concentrating and problems with vision.

The patient complained to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman that staff were “unprofessional and unempathetic, and became impatient and abrupt” when they were unable to do as asked.

As part of the investigation the watchdog found that a lack of communication of the patient’s condition led to staff not being aware of their cognitive impairment.

It was also found that there was inappropriate planning, and failure to complete documentation and risk assessments.

As a result, this meant there was a failure to provide the patient with reasonable emotional and psychological care.

When the patient complained to the health board, it was found that the response was poor and did not demonstrate the learning or improvement required.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde apologised to the patient.

A spokesperson for the health board said: “We have fully considered the report and accept all the recommendations that have been made. We are working with our teams to ensure learning is taken forward and the recommendations are met in full.”

The ombudsman recommended that “care plans should be person-centred to incorporate patients who have a cognitive impairment” and said complaints should be death with in the proper manner.