Treatment of NHS patient is branded 'disgraceful'

Expectant mother at Ninewells left in room with no heating for five hours while she received fluids

An ordeal experienced by an expectant mother at Ninewells Hospital has been branded “totally unacceptable” by a nurses’ union.

The patient, who is nine weeks’ pregnant, is suffering from the effects of excessive vomiting and attended the hospital’s ward 36 to receive emergency fluids.

Upon arriving at the ward, the mother-to-be was welcomed into a “treatment room” and lay down on a doctor’s examination table.

After complaining, the patient was offered a couch to lie on in a “freezing” room with a broken radiator. She was left there receiving fluids for five hours.

Irenee O’Neil, general secretary of the Independent Federation of Nursing in Scotland, described the incident as “totally unacceptable”.

She said: “What you have described is symptomatic of the bigger ill health issues in the NHS. It’s totally unacceptable. Here’s somebody who is going through their first pregnancy and who is very nervous.

“They are in their first trimester and need a high level of reassurance, treatment and care. You can’t do that lying on an exam table or on a couch. That’s quite disgraceful.

“This is totally reprehensible, but I guarantee it will be replicated in any of the 14 health boards. They (NHS non clinical management) know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.”

NHS Tayside said it would be standard practice across the country for the patient to be denied a bed for such a treatment.

North East MSP Bill Bowman said he will raise the complaints with NHS Tayside directly.

He said: “It must have been a horrendous experience for the woman involved.

“We know there are significant pressures at Ninewells, as with many other hospitals, but patients should expect a higher level of care in the Scottish NHS.

“I think the public will be shocked to hear that a pregnant woman with complications was left on a couch in a cold room for hours on end. This should not be acceptable practice.”

Bob McGlashan, from the Royal College of Nursing, said: “There’s no doubt that there is a shortage of nursing staff in many parts of Scotland.

“Because of this, NHS Tayside has had to temporarily reduce bed capacity in some areas, despite best efforts to ensure there are enough nursing staff to safely care for the number of patients at any one time.

“The health board is trying to recruit enough nursing staff, but it is an uphill struggle, given that so many of Scotland’s health boards are in a similar position.”

A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “Generally, when a patient requires the type of treatment that this individual required, they would not be admitted to a bed but would have this treatment delivered from a non-bedded ambulatory treatment area.

“The patient side room within gynaecology ward 36 is designed for this purpose.

“However, we recognise that in this instance the treatment took longer than expected and we apologise for any discomfort that the patient experienced.

“We would encourage the patient to contact the senior charge nurse in ward 36 who would be happy to discuss her concerns.”

The radiator has since been reported to the hospital estates department.

Incident involving woman with severe vomiting who was nine weeks’ pregnant described as ‘totally unacceptable’.