A HOSPITAL criticised for the poor care it gave to an elderly woman in the days before she died has issued a formal apology to her family, a new report has revealed.

The case, within the trust that runs Barrow's Furness General Hospital, was one of a series of serious complaints about the NHS investigated by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman between July and September last year.

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While she was in hospital the woman was given incorrect medication and was placed in a bed wrongly fitted with bedrails which led to a fall.

Medics should also have carried out a CT scan which was never undertaken.

Bosses at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust are now said to have taken action following the death of the pensioner, referred to as Mrs L to ensure it does not happen in the future.

The PHSO partly upheld the complaint about the care Mrs L received, referred by her daughter, after concluding there had been a number of mistakes in the care she received in hospital.

Dr David Walker, UHMBT medical director, said a number of new measures had now been introduced to improve safety for all patients.

"At the time of the incident, failings were identified by the trust and we immediately launched an investigation. We also apologised sincerely to the family.

"Since the incident, we have invested in the outsourcing of out-patient dispensing and a stock holding management project. 

"In addition, we have also improved our incident reporting of medication related incidents. 

"All the above contribute to ensure patient safety relating to medication prescribing at admission continues to improve and any medication related errors are investigated and lessons are learnt."

But officials within the PHSO, which upheld 37 per cent of the 4,000 complaints it investigated last year, have now warned hospitals must do more to provide people with answers when they make a complaint.

Dame Julie Mellor, PHSO ombudsman, said not doing so condemned people to suffer.

She  said: "The NHS provides excellent care for patients every day, which is why it is so important that when mistakes are made they are dealt with well. 

"These cases bring home all the suffering patients and their families experience when things go wrong, particularly when complaints are not handled effectively at a local level. 

"We are sharing these cases to help the NHS and other public sector organisations recognise and value the importance of complaints in helping to improve services."