Great-grandad dies after being left with 'no food or water' in hospital

Staff also did not fill in food charts for the 80-year-old. Photo / 123rf

Health officials have apologised to the family of an elderly man after he died in the care of hospital staff when they forgot to give him food and water.

Staff at UK's Walsall Manor Hospital failed to fill in food charts for 80-year-old Malcolm Pinches meaning it wasn't known whether he had eaten, an investigation found.

His daughter Tina Noon told how she was forced to feed her father herself on one occasion, while he was placed in a side room on his own despite having suffered a fall and cutting his head during his stay at the hospital.

Noon believes nurses were trying to get rid of him as soon as possible after he was placed in a discharge ward despite not being well enough to leave.

There was also confusion as to whether Pinches had suffered a mini stroke before May 27 this year.

Noon explained a GP who fielded an emergency call believed her father had suffered a mini-stroke, but his medical papers at hospital had no record of such an event.

Pinches' health quickly deteriorated before he died on June 13.

Richard Beeken, chief executive of the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the Manor, said he was "very sorry you had to feed your father and encourage him to drink because you felt nursing staff were uncaring and not doing their job properly".

Pinches had been on a drip but the cannula came out, he explained. "This does not portray a good example of the expected standard of care to be delivered by our staff."

An investigation by the trust listed "inconsistency of documenting food diary input and output", "not recognising when an individual requires more help with their meals" and "not recognising the importance of hydration" as failings in Pinches' care and has pledged to improve.

Noon, 57, said: "The dignity that was lost was beyond belief. He was being passed from discharge ward to discharge ward when he was getting progressively worse.

"What the hell was going on? They were just trying to get him out."

She added: "The apology means diddly squat. Don't be really sorry, change things."

Karen Dunderdale, director of nursing at the trust, said: "We have thoroughly investigated the complaint that was made and have apologised for our care falling below the standard we would expect in some areas.

"We continually work with our patients and their families to ensure improvements are made to help us deliver safe, high-quality care and have offered to meet with Mr Pinches' family which has been accepted in order to further address their concerns."