Thousands of dying patients are being let down by poor end-of-life care provision, the organisation that makes final decisions about NHS complaints in England has said.
The health ombudsman’s report detailed “tragic” cases where people’s suffering could have been avoided or lessened. In one instance, a patient had suffered 14 painful attempts to have a drip reinserted during his final hours. The government said improving end-of-life care was a priority. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has investigated 265 complaints about end-of-life care in the past four years, upholding just over half of them.
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Filed under: Elderly, NHS, elderly patients, end-of-life care, NHS
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