‘I did not know if he would come out there alive’

Life has changed inexorably for the couple at the centre of the NHS complaint.

Since his serious head injury, Rab Blackwood has suffered from numerous problems and is now unable to work, or enjoy going on holiday or even for a drive.

Still clearly upset, his wife Margaret recounted how Rab, a former BiFab worker, was sent home initially from A&E with an advice leaflet.

“Eleven days later I took him back and told them he wasn’t right and begged for a CT scan.”

By that time Mr Blackwood, who was taking blood-thinning drugs, was rushed to the Western General for surgery.

“The care he received there was wonderful,” she pointed out.

However, the delay meant he had to go through more complex surgery and that saw him remain in a coma for four weeks.

“They couldn’t stop his seizures and I was told he could be severely brain damaged,” she said.

At one point Mrs Blackwood went to withdraw money for his funeral, as she did not think her husband of more than 30 years would survive. However, he did and was transferred back to the Vic.

Mrs Blackwood eventually “moved in” to the hospital to care for her husband.

“He was confused, he was traumatised. I did not know if he would come out there alive,” she said.

Now the couple are living a life far removed from what they had imagined.

“It is like dementia, he’ll never work again, he cannot drive, our life is finished,” she said. “I cannot go to the shop with him, as he gets aggravated standing in queues.

“I cannot leave him on his own.”

It’s like dementia, he’ll never work again