Inquiry into OAP hospital treatment

AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after a family were left "horrified" by the hospital treatment of their elderly mother.

Nancy Wilson, 85, was treated in four hospitals and contracted Clostridium difficile before her death in March, it was reported today.

Mrs Wilson's daughter, Linda Walton, wrote to MSP Fiona Hyslop after being disturbed by what she had seen during her mother's time in hospital in Edinburgh.

Mrs Walton said: "While my mother was in the Royal Victoria, I was horrified at the treatment of elderly patients and standards of hygiene I saw when visiting.

"There appeared to be no obvious signs of staff interacting with patients. Food was also being handled by nurses who had recently been tending to patients on the ward. Disposable plastic aprons and gloves were not changed and hand-washing was not observed."

Dr Alison McCallum, director of public health and health policy at NHS Lothian, said: "NHS Lothian takes these issues very seriously."