Son seeks answers over mother's care

An 85-year-old Shropshire woman who went to hospital for a hip x-ray, was kept in and quickly became incapable of sitting up, speaking, or eating and drinking, it is claimed.

Phyllis Knight, of Church Stretton, was also given morphine at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital which had been prescribed for another patient, according to her son.

Martin Geeson said he was appalled at the way his mother had been treated. He has written to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust to complain. Currently Mrs Knight is in Telford's Princess Royal Hospital waiting to start rehabilitation.

"What has happened to her is quite unacceptable," said Mr Geeson who lives in Ludlow. "She was quite capable of walking and doing things for herself before she went into hospital. We want to know what went wrong."

Mrs Knight was sent to Shrewsbury on January 29 for an x-ray. She was examined by a doctor and it was decided to keep her in hospital, although care was in place at her home, claims Mr Geeson.

The following day, he and his wife arrived at hospital to find her in acute pain. She was, he says, dehydrated and had only eaten two spoonfuls of porridge for breakfast.

Mr Geeson alleges they were told she was suffering from constipation. She had been prescribed morphine which caused the problem.

This did not tally with her normal medication and they asked to see her drugs list. The drugs prescribed were for another person.

On February 10 she was moved to Ludlow Community Hospital but it was later decided she needed to return to Shrewsbury for treatment. Mr Geeson would not agree to this, so she was admitted to the Princess Royal where she remains.

A trust spokesman said: "When Mrs Knight was examined at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital she was found to have a urinary tract infection.

"We have spoken to Mrs Knight's family about her condition and will begin her rehabilitation once she is considered medically fit."