"Catalogue of errors caused inhumane suffering....."

For 12 months I had to watch a loved one suffering with the pain of an ulcerated leg.

Delays in treatment (due to blunders from the team) caused the leg to deteriorate and ultimately over such a prolonged period of time, become infected.

The pain this caused during this 9 month delay was inhumane, the yellow/green fluid teaming from the leg giving off foul smells that needed to be dressed 3/4 times weekly.

Finally, in July an appointment for a consultation was made and surgery was planned.

Weeks later, the appointment for the surgery never arrived.

Daily enquiries were met with promises of a letter being sent out shortly.

After further phone calls and investigations it was discovered that another blunder had taken place.

The request for surgery had not been actioned yet, and, was still lying on someone's desk.

My pleas for this to be looked into immediately were met with disdain by the administrator and I was told neither they, nor I, were Dr's and it would be up to the consultant to action the request as it was not listed as a priority.

A few weeks later the infected leg gave way and caused our loved one to fall over, hitting his head.

This trauma to the head resulted in a bleed on the brain...and then a stroke...the consequences of this catalogue of blunders ultimately led to a very painful and undignified death for a gentle man whose only crime was a mis-placed faith in the medical professionals who were supposed to be helping him.