A cancer patient choked to death after being fed food at a Paisley hospital, it's claimed.
The dying man was in his final days with a 'nil by mouth' instruction when it is understood he was fed lunch by a member of staff. Medics battled in vain to save him, but sadly he was pronounced death on July 22, the Daily Record reports.
An NHS whistleblower has spoken out in the wake of the tragedy, believed to have happened on the acute medical ward at the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH), where the man was receiving palliative care.
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The source told the record: "What happened was absolutely awful and deeply affected everyone involved.
"The patient was in his final days and was nil-by-mouth.
"He had not been eating and was unfortunately fed lunch by someone before he choked to death. Staff did everything they could to save him, but sadly he died. It was tragic. His family had been with him on the ward previously, but were not there at that point.
"I know they had planned to be by his bedside in his final moments, but because of this they weren't able to be. The staff were distraught and felt so bad that this had happened. Unfortunately I can see how it did."
The hospital worker claims staff shortages have put the hospital beyond crisis point, with nurses under enormous pressure.
They added: "At the moment there is currently one nurse caring for about 30 patients. I think we are down to having about five nurses on one shift. There are usually 20 nurses on a dayshift.
"Staff are really struggling to cope with the demand and the pressure being put on them so many are calling in sick because of this. Mistakes are bound to happen because nurses are at breaking point.
"Many blame covid for this, but I don't. I think it was reaching this point before the pandemic.
"More money needs to be invested into the NHS to bring it back to where it was many years ago."
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said: "Our deepest condolences go out to the family at this time.
"We are aware of an incident which took place on Friday, July 22, and we can confirm we are in close contact with the family to provide support and answer any questions they may have during this difficult period.
While an internal investigation is underway it would be inappropriate to comment further or make any assumptions regarding this incident."
"Across sites our staff are working tirelessly to look after our patients and we fully understand the pressures they face.
"Covid-19 has caused far higher than normal absence rates, which, coupled with more general absences and annual leave to allow staff some well-deserved rest, has meant there are staffing challenges.
"This is not specific to the RAH, or to NHSGGC. Our staffing teams are absolutely committed to finding solutions to the current situation and we are working closely with teams on the ground to ensure we utilise our available resources as effectively as possible, and that we're able to support our staff through this difficult time."
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