Trust's clinical management was appropriate but there were shortcomings in nursing care

What happened

Mrs B had several serious chronic conditions, including kidney failure and inoperable cancer. She went into hospital in severe pain. Trust staff planned to stabilise her so she could have treatment, but she died two days later.

What we found

We partly upheld this complaint because we did not find fault in all of the areas Mr B complained about.

The Trust did not make sure that Mrs B had sufficient fluids, and staff did not adequately monitor her fluid intake.

Although there were shortcomings in basic care, the Trust acknowledged these and took steps to rectify them.

The attitude of some ward staff was inappropriate but the Trust apologised for this and took steps to address the problem. We did not find that the doctor who spoke to the family shortly before Mrs B died was disrespectful.

Putting it right

The Trust apologised for failings in fluid monitoring and making sure that Mrs B had sufficient fluids.