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Media
stories describe concerns about
falls at Forth Valley Royal
Hospital
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Posted
June 25, 2022
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A
number of press reports have
highlighted fears that vulnerable
patients at Forth Valley Royal
Hospital have been put at risk of
falling because of shortcomings
in falls prevention
care.
This
page lists some of those stories.
If
you know of other reports please
get in touch.
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Dates
shown are for the posting of the
stories:
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September
21, 2012
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“Patients
are falling out of bed”
The Herald
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A
nurse spoke to Helen Puttick,
then of The Herald, and said
that Forth Valley Royal
Hospital did not have enough
nurses on wards to provide a
safe environment for patients.
She
said: "It is not safe. We
cannot get round our patients
at night to give them
treatments doctors have
prescribed.
"Patients
are falling out of
bed.
"Relatives
complain we are not delivering
the care they expect, but we
genuinely can't because we do
not have the time."
Link
to report:
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13073930.new-hospital-hit-surge-sick-leave
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September
23, 2012
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“New
hospital probed over claimed
breaches of care”
Daily
Express
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Margaret
Watt of the Scottish Patients'
Association, described as
"Scotland's unofficial
patients' watchdog", said she
had been contacted by two
families - one of which got in
touch after their relative
fell, hit his head and died in
Forth Valley Royal
Hospital.
The
other family said their
relative, a stroke victim, was
"abandoned for hours in a
cubicle" according to the
article, by reporter Paula
Murray.
Link
to
report:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/347685/New-hospital-probed-over-claimed-breaches-of-care
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October
31, 2013
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"Dementia
suffering grandmother, 80,
left battered and bruised
after fall” Daily
Mail
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Daughter
of patient told reporter Wills
Robinson that her mother had
suffered injuries after being
left unattended on a
bedpan.
Carrie
Stephens, the daughter of
patient Agnes Stephens told
the Daily Mail: “'When
she was brought in she knew
where she was and what day it
was but after the fall she had
no idea what town she was
in.
'There
have been so many mistakes
made and I really don’t
want this to happen to anyone
else’s mum or
dad.”
She
said:
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March
15, 2021
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"Communication
breakdown resulted in death of
NHS Forth Valley patient”
Alloa
Advertiser
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Reporter
Rajmund Bakonyi told the story
of a stroke victim with
delirium and dementia
who:
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June
15, 2021
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"NHS
Forth Valley apology for
“failings” over
sepsis patient" Alloa
Advertiser
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Rajmund
Bakonyi for the Alloa
Advertiser wrote of a patient
whose treatment under the care
of NHS Forth Valley was
criticised by the Scottish
Public Services Ombudsman. The
Ombudsman found that
shortcomings included:
- failures
in sepsis care
- failures
in assessing falls
risk
- lack
of evidence of care
rounding
Patient
was admitted to Forth Valley
Royal Hospital before then
being transferred to Stirling
Community Hospital (also under
Forth Valley Heath Board).
Patient was transferred back
to Forth Valley Royal Hospital
after developing pneumonia and
a chest infection.
The
Ombudsman said: “We found
that nursing staff should have
formed and recorded a specific
plan to address A's risk of
falls at night/overnight, as
that was when A was at highest
risk of falling.
"We
also found that there was a
lack of evidence of regular
and appropriate care rounding
to meet A's personal care
needs.”
Link
to report:
https://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/19369481.nhs-forth-valley-apology-failings-sepsis-patient/
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July
29, 2021
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"Dementia
patient died just days after
fall from hospital bed at
Forth Valley Royal Hospital"
Falkirk
Herald
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Reporter
Jonathon Reilly told the story
of Euphemia Bowman, aged 74,
known as Phamie. She died in
2017, after what the family
claimed were a number of
failures of care. The hospital
apologised and admitted
failures in risk assessment.
The newspaper report
said:
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September
2, 2021
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"250
Patients break a bone in Forth
Valley Royal hospital in the
10 years since it opened"
Falkirk
Herald
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Reporter
Jonathon Reilly
wrote:
- 267
bone fractures following falls
since Forth Valley Royal
Hospital opened
- figures
released after Freedom of
Information
request
- most
of the fractures were in
elderly patients
The
report referenced concerns
raised by the family of
Euphemia Bowman, known as
Phamie, who died in 2017 after
a fall in hospital. NHS Forth
Valley nurse director Angela
Wallace had apologised for the
care Mrs Bowman received,
Jonathon Reilly
wrote.
The
report also quoted NHS Forth
Valley:
An
NHS FV spokeswoman said:
“Over the past ten years
there has been considerable
work within NHS Forth Valley
to ensure a systematic focus
on falls through the Scottish
Patient Safety Programme and
the Nursing Care Assurance
system.
“We
work closely with families as
part of the risk assessment
for their loved
ones."
Link
to report:
https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/health/forth-valley-royal-hospital-falls-caused-more-than-250-patients
to-break-a-bone-figures-reveal-3367648
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September
30, 2021
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"Family
brand Forth Valley Royal
Hospital's treatment of
dementia patient as
'inhumane'" Falkirk
Herald
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Family
of 88-year-old dementia
patient Molly Allan claimed
she suffered poor treatment,
reporter Jonathon Reilly
wrote.
They
said she was:
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made to walk on a broken hip
after falling in hospital
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left in a dirty nightie
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in a room where her soiled
linen was left “stuffed
in a
wardrobe”.
Molly
Allan's daughter Fiona told
the newspaper: "“The
hospital called me to say she
was having difficulty bearing
weight on one leg.
"They
continued to mobilise her for
three days before they sent
her for an X-ray, only to
discover her hip was broken.
By making her walk on it, they
displaced the fracture and it
meant a full hip
replacement.
“She
survived the surgery but never
walked again."
NHS
Forth Valley
said: “A wide range
of training and measures are
in place in all of our
inpatient wards to help reduce
the risk of falls.
"When
a fall does occur, any
learning is shared along with
other relevant action to help
prevent it from happening
again.”
Link
to report:
https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/health/family-brand-forth-valley-royal-hospitals-treatment-of-dementia-patient-as-inhumane-3401859
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October
21, 2021
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"Call
for inquiry into Forth Valley
Royal Hospital’s
treatment of dementia patients
after falls complaints"
Falkirk
Herald
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Story
written by Jonathon
Reilly
•
Gail Bowman’s mother
Phamie Bowman died after she
fell and broke her hip and
shoulder in Forth Valley Royal
Hospital in 2017
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she spoke about her horror of
hearing how another dementia
patient, Molly Allan, was said
by her family to have suffered
poor care – including
being made to walk on a broken
hip
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Gail Bowman said:
““I put it on
Facebook and said it’s
ridiculous they’re still
treating dementia patients
poorly. About eight different
people contacted me with
horror stories about what
happened to their families.
I’ve decided I want
Nicola Sturgeon and the Health
Secretary to take it to
Holyrood. I’m collecting
stories because I think
it’s going to have more
of an impact on the
hospital."
Michael
Matheson, Falkirk West MSP,
wrote to NHS Forth Valley
asking for details of
improvements in care for
dementia patients, the
newspaper report
described.
NHS
Forth Valley claimed it had
made improvements, the story
said.
Link
to report:
https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/health/call-for-inquiry-into-forth-valley-royal-hospitals-treatment-of-dementia-patients-after-falls-complaints-3423032
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