Sylvia Kennedy, a 71-year-old grandmother, was taken by her family to the hospital to have an emergency amputation performed after a blood clot formed in her leg.
Once the procedure was complete, Kennedy was taken to the ICU to recover, but her family was warned that she wouldn’t survive. Her condition was unstable and her health was deteriorating rapidly.
After Kennedy spent two weeks in the ICU, only to watch her condition continue diminishing, the doctors suggested that her family take her to a hospice for a more comfortable end-of-life pathway.
The family agreed, and had Kennedy transferred to a nearby hospice.
It was only there that doctors discovered an open wound on Kennedy’s foot – which had been covered with a bandage – was infested with maggots.
Kennedy’s daughter, Anita Woolstencroft, said, “We were absolutely devastated. My mum had gone over to the hospice to die in comfort and with dignity.
“It was very upsetting for us to know that she had been lying in a hospital bed for days with maggots in her foot and that no one had noticed.”
The family know believes that once it was apparent that Kennedy’s condition wasn’t going to improve, the hospital “gave up on her” and simply aimed to vacate their bed for other patients.
Woolstencroft and her sister brought this issue up with the hospital, who has since reported that a window in the ICU had been left open, allowing a fly to enter the building and lay its eggs in Kennedy’s wound.
In regards to Kennedy’s poor treatment, the hospital has issued an apology for their sub-standard levels of care and vowed to make improvements as they moved forward.
Sadly, Kennedy has since passed away. The hospital, once again, offered their sympathy and apologies to Kennedy’s family, and assured that they would make changes to their practices in the future.
