A SOUTHAMPTON hospital ‘failed’ a vulnerable elderly woman days before her death, a damning report has found.

Staff at Southampton General made several errors after 95-year-old Monica Bridle suffered severe bruising to her face in a fall from her hospital bed, according to an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

These failures include: -

- Not telling Mrs Bridle’s family about the fall.

- Not recording the injuries in her discharge papers

-  Failing to tell her daughter that she had been discharged from hospital to a nursing home.

Mrs Bridle, 95, who was partially sighted, fell into a gap between her bed and a wall while an agency healthcare assistant was changing her bedding during the incident two years ago.

Her daughter, Maureen Wylie, was shocked to see the bruising when visiting and quickly started the process to get her discharged to a care home – and was further stunned when the hospital discharged her mother without telling her.

Maureen, 60, of Sherfield English, said: “I was shaken and shocked when I saw my mum at the nursing home. I still get flashbacks. The staff at the nursing home were on the verge of tears. How can this happen, in 2013, to a 95-year-old lady?

“I was not happy with the care she was receiving at the hospital and it took forever to get her discharged. In the end, when they eventually did discharge her, they didn’t even tell me.”

Mrs Bridle, who lived in Lyndhurst, died of natural causes just five days after being discharged. The investigation found the fall was not the cause of her death.

The hospital has apologised to Maureen and her family and introduced new plans to ensure lessons have been learnt.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Julie Mellor said: “This story shows the importance of following clearly laid care plans. It also highlights the effect poor communication in the health service can have on people.”

Maureen confirmed she had received a letter of apology from the hospital.

The Ombudsman Service is satisfied the hospital has addressed the failings – including introducing electronic incident reporting, auditing discharge checklists and using ward meetings to ensure relatives are informed of any falls.

Judy Gillow, director of nursing at UHS, said: “There were a number of aspects of this patient’s care that we did not get right and we have unreservedly apologised to her family for that.”