OAP sent home from hospital with needle in his arm for second time

Jul 22 2010 by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier

OAP

A FRAIL pensioner was sent home by medics from St John’s Hospital with a needle in his arm – for the second time.

The Courier told last Thursday how Ken Maclean, who suffers from dementia, was sent home with a needle in his left arm after staff forgot to take it out.

The 77-year-old was admitted to the hospital suffering a severe nose bleed and was still covered in blood when his daughter went to collect him.

And, just 10 days later, Ken was re-admitted with the same complaint and was again sent home with a needle in his arm after being treated by medics on the same ward.

Ken’s daughter Debbie (46) said she is “disgusted” with staff and wants an investigation into how such a mistake could be made twice.

Her dad was taken into St John’s last Wednesday and received treatment for his bleeding nose before being discharged the same day.

She said: “He had been in respite and we were asked to go and get him because he had been taken to hospital.

“We were on our way home when it crossed my mind to ask my partner Chris to check dad’s arm because of what had happened before.

“He turned around and looked and sure enough the needle was there, but in his other arm.”

Debbie said that she took her dad back to the hospital where they were looked after by staff at A&E.

She continued: “The nurse who dealt with us there couldn’t have been nicer.

“She apologised on behalf of the hospital and is the first person to do that.

“I’m really angry and disgusted this has happened for a second time. It’s bad happening once but twice is unacceptable.

“It made my dad really agitated again and while he’s settled back down it’s upsetting and I hate that he’s being treated like this.”

The Courier reported last week that Ken was admitted to ward 19A after his nose began bleeding – a problem he has had for the past 18 months.

When his daughter and her partner, Chris Cowin, went to pick him up, he was still wearing the same blood-soaked clothes even though Debbie had given nurses clean ones.

And just minutes after they got Ken back to their home in Whitburn, Debbie received a phone call from staff saying they had left a needle in his arm.

Melanie Hornett, Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said: “We have written to Mr Maclean and his family, but I would also like to apologise publicly. An investigation is underway to establish how this happened.

“It is highly unusual and we will ensure lessons are learned.”