‘Atrocious’ treatment

Linda Holmes makes the claims in a damning two-year diary of her mother's treatment at Lewisham Hospital.

In the diary Mrs Holmes says her 74-year-old mother Rose Matthews, who died last November, suffered due to a catalogue of errors.

Mrs Holmes, of Castlecombe Road, Mottingham, claims:

• Her mother was often left lying for "hours" in a bed soaked in urine and vomit.

• She was forced to go without vital energy drinks because the hospital ran out of them.

• Her mother's condition was mis-diagnosed by doctors.

• The family were twice mistakenly told Mrs Matthews was about to die.

Mother-of-two Mrs Holmes began the dossier on February 12 2004, when her mother was admitted to hospital with a broken hip.

Before her operation the following day Mrs Holmes was wrongly told her mother had hours to live.

Mrs Matthews was discharged in April 2004 but when she was re-admitted in March last year, her daughter decided to revive the diary.

Mrs Holmes, 49, said: "Ninety-nine per cent of the nurses are angels but because they are so understaffed the standard of treatment is atrocious.

"Everything is in a minute'.

"When I asked for a bedpan or a drink for mum the answer would always be in a minute'.

"They did not bother to clean her up.

"She would be left in her own mess and urine for three or four hours, crying her eyes out."

Mrs Matthews suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a lung disease which severely affects breathing.

This meant she needed special Fortisip energy drinks to keep her strength up, but Mrs Holmes says the ward rarely had the drinks in stock.

In August last year the family were again wrongly told Mrs Matthews was about to die.

She eventually died at Brymore House care home in Grove Park, in November.

Her death certificate said she died of cancer but the family claim they were never told she had the disease.

Mrs Holmes added: "I don't want anyone else to go through what mum did.

"It was pure neglect from start to finish."

Hospital bosses have promised to launch an "urgent investigation" into Mrs Matthews' case.

A spokesman said: "In the case of Rose Matthews there were shortfalls in the standards we expect and our patients are entitled to expect.

"We will learn from this and put into practice any recommendations which are made following our investigation."

Linda's diary entries

• Feb 12, 2004: "Mum was admitted with a broken hip at 2.30pm. At 8pm she was moved to the observation ward and at midnight she was taken to ward b.6. In all she was moved on and off beds four times while screaming in pain."

• Feb 13, 2004: "The anaesthetist explains mum is very sick and we should say our goodbyes. At 7pm the ward phones to say mum is out of surgery and everything will be fine. The doctor was a bit rash I think."

• Mar 19, 2005: "Mother is not eating but the doctor assures me as long as she drinks her fortified milkshakes it should not be a problem. However the ward did not have any."

• Aug 17, 2005: "Mother's bed is drenched in urine. It seems to be the case whenever I arrive she has been left in a wet bed for hours."

• Sept 10, 2005: "My sister and I arrive to find mother wet, crying, vomiting and in terrible pain. I ask for a build-up soup which she had been keeping down recently but the ward didn't have any."