NHS Tayside has apologised to the family of a cancer sufferer who died after a fall at Ninewells Hospital.
An investigation found “serious failings” in the nursing care of a man identified as ‘Mr A’, who was transferred to a hospice in a semi-conscious state after the fall.
The inquiry by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) found the patient should have been medically assessed before the move and that the decision should have been discussed with his family.
He had been suffering from advanced cancer and was admitted to Ninewells for pain management, only to fall during his stay.
The report said he had been checked for a suspected fractured hip before being “transferred back to palliative care”. He was “semi-conscious on arrival and died shortly afterwards”.
The patient’s daughter later complained in the belief her father had not received proper care and the SPSO said it had subsequently found “serious failings in the nursing care provided”.
Nurse director Dr Margaret McGuire said: “I am sorry for the poor care experienced by Mr A and the additional distress caused to his family at what was a very difficult time.
“Unfortunately, in this case we fell short of the high standards of care we want to provide.”