An Aberdeenshire pensioner who discharged himself from hospital in protest at the standard of care he received bas made a formal complaint.
Ken Campbell was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary last month after suffering an epileptic fit.
The 73-year-old has a number of conditions including epilepsy, cancer, sciatica and arthritis which leave him with reduced mobility.
On his fourth day in the ward he suffered another fit and was quickly aided by doctors and nurses – who he is full of praise for.
But he claims he was left to lie there for 20 minutes before stretched staff could help clean him up.
The next day, a patient in a bed next to him had a seizure and Mr Campbell claims he could only watch helplessly as he continually buzzed for attention.
Again, he claims it was around 20 minutes before a locum nurse – in a different uniform to NHS Grampian staff – came to the man’s aid.
Mr Campbell discharged himself from the north-east’s flagship hospital the next day as he was so concerned about what he had seen.
He wrote a letter of complaint, seen by the Press and Journal, as soon as he got home.
Last night, Mr Campbell said: “It is not the fault of the doctors and nurses – it was the agency staff.
“There was a consultant and a young doctor and they could not have done enough for me, I cannot criticise them.
“But it took more than 20 minutes for someone to come and help the man adjacent to my bed.
“It was terrible. The next day I discharged myself and got a taxi home.”
The disabled rights campaigner is also seeking clarity on whether agency staff have the authority to dispense medication.
He added: “Ultimately it comes down to staffing and more should be done to help NHS Grampian keep doctors and nurses so they would not have to rely on agency workers.”
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian vowed to “investigate fully” Mr Campbell’s complaint once it had been received.
“We are concerned by the issues Mr Campbell raises. We would urge him to get in touch with our feedback team, via email, letter or phone, and we will investigate fully.
“Speaking generally, our agency staff are recruited to exactly the same standards as our substantive members of staff. The public can have complete confidence in their ability to provide care to them.”
