Woman, 92, 'left to starve' in hospital

Mr Hudson, a civil servant from Lewisham, has filed an official complaint against the hospital, claiming nurses did not offer his mother, who suffers from dementia, help with eating or taking medication. He claims they left her meal tray lid on and the food wrapped in cling film, which she was unable to remove. Medication was put in little cups in front of Mrs Hudson, who is blind in one eye and severely impaired in the other. This meant she missed taking tablets on at least six occasions.

Nurses also took a week to put a note over her bed alerting staff to her blindness despite requests, he said.

Lewisham Hospital was recently rated the worst in the capital for patient safety in a guide by Dr Foster, a leading provider of health information. Father-of-three Mr Hudson, 61, said: "All staff had to do was ask if she needed anything."

The Patients Association, which has campaigned over care on NHS wards, today said the Hudsons' experience was "sadly familiar". The hospital has given Mr Hudson a verbal apology. Chief executive Tim Higginson said steps had been taken "to ensure that this rare occurrence cannot be repeated".

Source: The Evening Standard