A woman in Croydon fractured her spine while using an NHS-installed bed turning aid, writes Louisa Woolf…
The device was installed after the council decided it could replace overnight care workers, according to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
The woman, a wheelchair user reliant on care staff, had received overnight support through council-funded payments until January 2022.
Following a reassessment after her injury, the council ruled that any future night-time care would need to be funded by the NHS, but she would only receive this funding if she moved into a nursing home.
After experiencing deep pressure sores, the woman alerted the council in September 2023 that her health was at risk due to not being turned overnight.
She was admitted to hospital in November 2023 and in January 2024 and it was recommended that she receives overnight turning every three to four hours.
While the council increased funding for daytime care, it insisted that the NHS should cover the cost of overnight care.
After another hospital admission in April 2024, the woman filed a complaint with the Ombudsman.
The council informed the Ombudsman that it had begun funding her night-time care in August 2024, with plans to reclaim the expenses from the NHS.
Croydon Council withdrew funding for the woman’s overnight care, prompting the NHS to install an automated turning system in her home as a replacement.
Within two nights of use, she suffered severe back pain, which was later diagnosed as a spinal fracture.
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Amerdeep Somal said: “While the council and NHS were deciding who should be responsible for this woman’s care package, she was left without adequate care and support and was hospitalized on multiple occasions.
“If there is any question, once an assessment has been completed, of who is responsible for funding a care package, the person in need of support should never feel the impact of this on their health and welfare.
“The council should have considered putting in an interim plan while discussions were ongoing with the NHS.
“I am pleased the council eventually came to this conclusion itself, but it should not have taken my intervention for this to happen.”
The council has agreed to review her care payments, and clarify future funding arrangements in writing.
It will also pay her £1,000 for the injustice and a further £2,500 as a symbolic payment for the harm she suffered, following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “We are very sorry that we didn’t provide our resident with the care and support that she needed and accept the recommendations from the report.
“We have apologised and compensated them, and will agree how she can pay for her care in the future, providing support as needed.
“We are always working to improve our adult social care and we will identify and act upon any learning opportunities from this.”
