Patient with sight and hearing issues died after being left 'isolated' during Covid in Argyll and Bute

A health board has apologised after a patient who had sight and hearing issues died after they were left “isolated” and “immobile” in a hospital bed.

The child of the patient made a complaint about Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership to the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO) about the care and treatment that their parent had received.

Following a fall at home, the patient who had sight and hearing difficulties, referred to in the decision report as A, was admitted to hospital where they stayed as an inpatient for several weeks before being discharged to a care home where they died a few weeks later.

In the complaint, it was claimed that the care and support that A received at home to encourage movement and general wellbeing was not continued while they were in hospital.

It meant that A’s mobility and mental health deteriorated and they developed pressure sores due to the length of time that they were immobile in bed.

The complainant did not consider that A’s blindness and hearing difficulties were taken into account by the hospital staff and complained that A’s calls for assistance were ignored.

The public service watchdog took independent advice from a nursing advisor and found that the lack of a person-centred care plan led to the failure to support A to enjoy activities that would have provided some stimulation.

It added that along with the restricted face-to-face visits due to the pandemic, it meant that A was “unreasonably isolated and this impacted on their anxiety and mobility”.

The SPSO found “a number of issues with documentation and the management of A’s pre-existing pressure ulcer”.

The report concluded that A was unreasonably isolated throughout their admission due, in part, to a failure to adapt A’s care in recognition of their sensory impairments and that there were clear failures to maintain important documentation and the complaint was upheld.

Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership was asked to apologise to the patient’s child that they did not receive a reasonable standard of care.

A spokesperson said: “Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) fully accept the recommendations made by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) and are very sorry for the failures identified in our care for this patient.”