A frail woman on dialysis treatment was discharged from hospital with a cannula still hanging out her left arm, it’s been claimed.
Kenny Mackay is demanding answers over the care and treatment his beloved mum Margaret received at Ayr Hospital.
A cannula is a thin, flexible tube inserted into a patient’s body to withdraw or deliver fluids, or to supply supplemental oxygen. It is removed prior to a patient’s hospital discharge - unless an explicit clinical plan is in place for ongoing home intravenous treatment.
Kenny, who has a background in care, claimed it’s the second time in three months his mum’s been discharged with a cannula remaining in her arm. He also confirmed there was no clinical reason for the cannula to remain. He warned NHS Ayrshire & Arran bosses that they placed his mum at risk of contracting sepsis.
Family's Concerns
He said: “My elderly mum was discharged from Ayr Hospital. From A&E straight to Dialysis, then patient transport home at 8pm. But I noticed that she still had a cannula in. This is the second time it’s happened in three months, which raises serious questions about the standard of care at Ayr Hospital, especially with sepsis being a major concern. And it puts more unnecessary strain on after-hours care, which is already stretched to the limits.”
Margaret, who turned 72 on Friday, was discharged on Wednesday, July 15. When the cannula was discovered in her arm, Kenny had to arrange for a district nurse to come out and remove it.
He said: “The first time we never reported it, we just got on the phone to 111. That took half an hour and then we were told that a District Nurse would be out within four hours. But if you ever saw anyone who is on dialysis, when they come off it they are absolutely shattered and they can barely keep their eyes open. It’s just not the standard you’d expect.
“My mum was in hospital for three weeks, got home for two days and then had to go back in an ambulance. When she was in the ambulance, it was on a dialysis day. And A&E had deemed her fit enough to go her dialysis, then gave her steroids before she was discharged (after dialysis) to patient transport.
“The staff at the renal unit are really good, but there are only so many of them in terms of the ratio to patients. When mum got sent from the A&E to the Renal Unit, you would have thought that a phone call, or an email would have been sent, saying Mrs Mackay still has a cannula in, but that does not seem to have happened.
“Mum gets weighed before dialysis and weighed after it and gets help to stand up and hold on to the scales. On this latest occasion she only had a t-shirt on, so how they missed the cannula there hanging out, I don’t know.”
Mother's Health Journey
Kenny, from Ayr, revealed that his mum has faced a difficult health journey since the start of the year. He said: “Mum has only spent five weeks at home since January because she kept having to go back to hospital after getting infections and they don’t know where the infection is coming from. All they can do is treat it.
“So when they sent her home like that the other week you can imagine how annoyed, angry and upset I was. I have registered a complaint and had no response at all.
“It’s basic stuff of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. She was also discharged with a paper gown on. I don’t know why because she had her own bag of clothes there with her.”
Kenny is now seeking assurances that his mum’s healthcare will be better going forward. He added: “I’m not even bothered about an apology because it would just be an automated thing anyway. I’m just looking for a reassurance that, when a loved one is dropped off, they are given the best care and attention possible to enable them to live their life for as long as they possibly can.”
Hospital Response
Dr Crawford McGuffie, Medical Director at NHS Ayrshire & Arran, said in a statement: “Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on individual cases. We understand how important it is for people to feel heard and supported. Our complaints handling process allows us to listen, understand and respond directly with anyone who has concerns about the care or support they have received.”
You can find information on how to make a complaint at the NHS Ayrshire & Arran website.
