Medical practice told to say sorry for failure over mother’s death

A Fife medical practice has been told to apologise to a family for failure which led to their mother dying in hospital and not at home as she had wanted.

Her daughter, known only as Miss C, complained to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman about the incident.

She claimed the practice had unreasonably admitted Mrs A to hospital when it was her desire to stay at home.

Mrs A, who had terminal cancer, was being cared for in her own home.

But a GP from the practice who visited was concerned about the ability to meet her care needs there.

The doctor then arranged for Mrs A to be admitted to hospital where she died two days later.

Miss C was concerned this was against her late mother’s wishes.

The ombudsman took independent advice from a GP who considered that the initial decision to have Mrs A admitted to hospital was reasonable.

But by the time the ambulance crew arrived, she had lost consciousness.

The investigation determined that at that point the GP should have consulted the family about having Mrs A admitted to hospital.

The ombudsman felt Mrs A should have been allowed to stay at home if that was what her family wanted and so upheld the complaint.

The practice was asked to apologise to Miss C for not clarifying and acting in line with her family’s wishes about admitting her mother to hospital.

He added: “When someone is in the final days of their life there should be shared decision making with them and with their family, as appropriate, about their care.”