Decision Report 201907588

Summary

C was admitted to the Queen Margaret Hospital where they were detained under an Emergency Detention Certificate (EDC). C complained about the nursing care provided during their admission. They said that staff did not interact with them or show them around the ward; they did not receive adequate food; they did not have clothes or toiletries; and that staff searched their bag and removed medication.

The board said there were attempts to offer food to C, however this was sometimes refused. They said there was evidence of good nursing care provided to C and that they did attend for meals. The board confirmed C’s bag was not searched and that they do not hold a supply of clothing for patients.

We took independent advice from a mental health nurse. We found that, while some aspects of the nursing care provided to C were reasonable, there was no evidence that a nutritional screening tool was used to assess C’s nutritional state, and this should have been done within the first 24 hours of admission. We concluded the board failed to adequately assess and record C’s nutritional needs and, as such, the nursing care was below the standard expected. We upheld C's complaint.

Recommendations

What we said should change to put things right in future:

• The board should take steps to ensure that nutritional care is in line with national standards, and in particular that all patients are subject to nutritional screening within 24 hours of admission.

We have asked the organisation to provide us with evidence that they have implemented the recommendations we have made on this case by the deadline we set.