The Heart to Heart Blog

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It Has Happened Here

by John - 21:27 on 19 October 2011

In a previous blog entry I asked if seemingly deteriorating nursing standards in England, that – “It Couldn’t Happen Here – Could It”

I never thought for one minute that it could.

The truth is, that in fact it has already happened here in the Highlands

On Wednesday 19th October, Elaine Mead, Chief Executive of Raigmore Hospital was forced by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman's Office to issue an apology for what the SPSO has described as  "sub standard care”.

In her statement Ms Mead said:- "Today we have issued an unreserved written apology to a patient as a result of the poor care they received while in Raigmore Hospital last year."

Whilst I have received nothing but the best of care from Raigmore nursing staff, such an incident casts an unwanted shadow on all levels of Raigmore's nursing care.

SPSO Ruling

NHS Highland Statement

post script:- 

If on reading the above you think that it is but an isolated case - it is not.
On the same day the SPSO gave an equally critical condemnation to Ninewells Hospital, Dundee in which it stated - "there was an overall failure by staff to ensure …  the correct level of care and treatment which could have been reasonably expected."

A spokesman for NHS Tayside said in reply - “Arrangements are already in place to ensure learning from this event is fed back to staff via supervision.”
A rather unsympathetic platitude; considering that a child died.

Source:  The Scotsman
 

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