Hospital trust 'misled' watchdog

A heart condition was found after the man died

Staff at a NHS trust in Greater Manchester attempted to mislead officials investigating a complaint, according to a government watchdog.

The Health Service Ombudsman's report described the apparent attempt by staff to withhold information at the Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust in January 1999 as "reprehensible".

The ombudsman was investigating a complaint that a patient with septicaemia was left without antibiotics for a 38-hour period in Hope Hospital, Salford.

The report, published on Tuesday, highlighted how the trust acknowledged only a four to five hour delay, when clinical records showed otherwise.

The message this trust gives out to its staff is that it wants them to be honest and open

Dorothy Knupfer, executive nurse

Hilary Scott, the deputy health service ombudsman, said: "We make the point about the way the trust dealt with this complaint very forcibly because it is so unusual.

"We do not as a rule encounter these sorts of difficulties.

"We wanted to make a very clear point that it was not in any way acceptable that the trust's behaviour should be repeated elsewhere."

The wife of the patient concerned had claimed his care was inadequate and his notes were confused with those of another patient.

Serious condition

She also said she was not made aware of the seriousness of his condition and so was not present at his death.

The trust has said steps have been taken since the event to make sure it is not repeated.

Training has been updated, the drug administration policy reviewed, and an audit of clinical and nursing records carried out.

Dorothy Knupfer, executive nurse, said: "I would hope that it would never happen again.

"In an establishment which employs 3,000 people it relies on everybody to be honest and open.

"The message this trust gives out to its staff is that it wants them to be honest and open with patients and their relatives."