"In this day and age no one should get bed sores in hospital"

My father was admitted to Ninewells at the beginning of August this year (2010). He was first admitted to ward 23a (neurology) where he spent 2 weeks there. While he was there he received excellent care.

He then was moved to ward 34 to start chemotherapy as he had been diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. While he was there he was often left in the same position in his bed for hours at a time resulting in him getting bed sores which he found very uncomfortable. (He could not move his legs) After around 6 weeks in that ward my father could no longer sit in a chair for any length of time as it was too painful.

He then got moved to St Margaret’s hospital in Auchterarder (nearer his home) where he received excellent care and over the next 6 weeks the nursing team in Auchterarder managed to almost get rid of his bed sores. But unfortunately as my dads temperature became raised he had to be moved back to ward 34 in Ninewells as St Margaret’s is only a cottage hospital.

Within 6 days of my dad being back in Ninewells my dad’s bed sores where back and he also has started to get them on his heels. He is often close to tears with the pain which is hard for me to see. I feel that in this day and age no one in hospital should be getting bed sores. My dad was a nurse for the NHS for over 30 years and I think this is a terrible way to be treated.