Grace Settle was on one of her Christmas nights out with the local church group when she fell and fractured her hip.

She was still living independently in her own flat in Glasgow and her children and eight grandchildren expected her to recover and be home in time for Christmas day.

On December 27 she died in the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow in an open ward with no curtains for privacy.

"It was the lack of dignity and respect," said Ian Settle, 48, her son. "If she had been 28 rather than 88 she wouldn't have been treated like this."

Yesterday the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman strongly criticised Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board for their failure to communicate appropriately with the family, inadequate care and the lack of dignity shown to Mrs Settle.

It is one of four reports specifically criticising elderly care in different hospitals published by the ombudsman yesterday. In them he highlights concerns about "inadequate" nursing care, poor communication with patients and relatives, and a lack of dignity.

In the case of Grace Settle, referred to in the report as Mrs A, he upholds five different criticisms and makes nine recommendations, including asking the board to apologise.

"Mrs A and her family deserved greater care and respect," he writes. "The issue was not just the layout of the ward but also the fact that there was very little recognition and support from staff at such a difficult time, which left Mrs A's family feeling isolated, and there was a lack of dignity afforded to Mrs A in her final hours.

"Although Mrs A was suffering from an infection sensitive only to one antibiotic, she was given a different antibiotic which would have been ineffective for a full week.

"Mr C said that, shortly after they had been informed Mrs A was dying, she had been moved to an open ward. Staff there did not appear to be aware of Mrs A's condition. No curtains had been drawn to ensure Mrs A had some privacy in her final hours."

Shortly after being admitted to hospital, Mrs Settle was diagnosed with an infection and there was an outbreak of the winter vomiting virus in her ward. The family say there was no communication about the virus and that her care - which included not being given sufficient fluids - was inadequate.

Some 18 months after her death, Mrs Settle's son is still angry about the way she was treated.

"When she moved to the open ward she was obviously dying before our eyes," he said. "There were people wandering about singing Christmas carols and she was given no privacy at all.

"When we asked about her progress on the new ward they didn't even know who she was. She was lost in the system.

"She loved Glasgow and had lived there all her life. I couldn't believe this was the level of healthcare. The way the elderly are treated in this country is just terrible.

"She was fit and active and independent. She still went on holidays and was a member of various church organisations and clubs.

"They didn't even consult us about the surgery - even though she was obviously very confused from the infection they went ahead anyway and she went downhill."

Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board said they fully accepted the recommendations made in the report.

"Infection control is one of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's highest priorities," said a spokeswoman. "We have put in place a range of measures to drive down infection rates and these are already showing real results. NHSGGC has recently reported its lowest ever C diff and MRSA bacteremia rates, one of the lowest levels in Scotland.

"We also recognise that clear communication between patients, relatives and staff is very important and significant strides have been made recently in ensuring that that information is clearly explained to patients and their carers through changes to the role of the senior charge nurse.

"We have already apologised to the family but will do so again formally. We will also now act upon and implement the recommendations made by the Ombudsman."

Thursday 23rd July 2009

LUCY ADAMS, Chief Reporter

Reproduced with permission from The Herald (Glasgow) Newsquest (Herald & Times) Ltd © Newsquest Media Group Ltd.