An Aberdeen hospital has been criticised by a health watchdog after it was revealed patients were left without basic medication.
Shortages at Royal Cornhill Hospital were exposed after it emerged a female patient was left without the painkiller Tramadol.
The woman, known as Mrs C, later tried to commit suicide. Her husband claimed she would not have made the attempt if she has been properly medicated.
A number of patients on the same ward were affected by the poor supply of painkillers in April 2013.
Advisers to the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman (SPSO) said it was "unacceptable" that a female patient was left in pain as a result of a drugs shortfall.
A shortage of basic medication indicated poor planning and clinical practice, they said.
The SPSO upheld three complaints raised by the Mrs C's husband over her care, including the lack of medicine. However, it found no evidence for another complaint that his wife's personal belongings had been removed.
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian admitted that standards had fallen short.
She said: "NHS Grampian fully acknowledges that some aspects of Mrs C's care fell short of the standards we aim to achieve. The recommendations made by the ombudsman have been noted, and the report will be shared with the staff involved.
“We will be writing formally to the family to offer an apology.”
No comments:
Post a Comment