OAP sent home wearing one slipper

AN ELDERLY fall victim was sent home from hospital in the depth of winter wearing only a shirt, trousers, dressing gown and one slipper.

The 85-year-old man had another fall within days of being discharged from the Southern General, Glasgow, and died shortly afterwards.

Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board has been ordered to apologise to the dead man’s family and to review their procedures for treating the elderly.

The incident was revealed in a report by Jim Martin, the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman. He upheld all four complaints from the family of the man, who was admitted to the hospital after a fall on 10 February, 2011.

The pensioner, referred to only as “Mr A”, had hip replacement surgery two days later and was sent home on 24 February.

Mr Martin’s report stated that Mr A’s son had said his father “was dressed in outdoor trousers, one slipper, a polo shirt and a dressing gown and was extremely cold”.

But the patient could have been properly dressed had staff checked his belongings. The report reveals that a paramedic handed the son his father’s suitcase “which contained his outdoor jacket, a hat, jumper and outdoor shoes”.

Mr Martin said: “It was not acceptable that an elderly and frail man was discharged from the hospital dressed in this manner.”

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We are working to improve local communication processes to support patient care.”