NHS Ayrshire & Arran has been ordered to apologise to the family after discharging a frail patient who later died.
The child of the patient had complained to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman that the service had failed to provide reasonable care to their parent, who died soon after being admitted to hospital for a third time.
The Ombudsman said that the patient, who is only identified as patient 'A', was originally discharged just one day after being admitted to hospital, despite their heart issues, age and frailty.
The report stated: “[They] should have remained in hospital given that a deterioration in their condition was very likely to occur, and as they also required further detailed assessment of their mobility.”
It added that they would have expected the patient to remain in hospital, even if they had previously been healthy as the problems were ‘profound and life threatening’.
The report added: “We found that the board failed to take account of the evidence in A’s records that they had struggled with their mobility and had needed supervision and support.
“Given the severity of A’s illness, age, and the difficulty with walking, there should have been a specific and detailed assessment of A’s mobility prior to their discharge.”
They also criticised the way the service dealt with the family's complaint.
They have been ordered to apologise to the family and ensure the correct process is adhered to in the future.
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