Get well message to dead woman

Marilyn Roy died before the letter was received

Scotland's health minister sent a letter to a patient's family wishing her a speedy recovery, unaware that she had died.

Malcolm Chisholm had been looking into concerns raised by Marilyn Roy's family after she fell from her hospital bed.

He wrote to Mrs Roy's 54-year-old husband Gordon saying he was pleased to learn that the family had been offered an apology and wished her well.

However, Mrs Roy, 53, had died 11 days earlier and her death is being investigated by the procurator fiscal.

Investigations were made, and unfortunately between the time those investigations having been made and the letter being issued the lady died Executive spokeswoman

Mr Chisholm said he accepts that checks need to be made on patients' conditions before letters are issued.

Mrs Roy, of Colinton Mains, in Edinburgh, died suddenly at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on 9 June.

Mr Chisholm had written to her family telling them that he had looked into their concerns about an incident on 21 May when she fell from her hospital bed.

Her daughter said the minister's mistake had caused great upset.

Nicola Roy, 19, said that only now did the family feel able to talk about the mistake.

She said: "We felt really upset as we were already trying to come to terms with my mum's death, and we felt he'd let my mum down.

"We really expected he'd investigate what was a very serious incident in a hospital he is responsible for as health minister.

"But he got it horribly wrong, and clearly didn't give it much attention.

Nicola Roy holds the minister's letter

"He maybe needs to review the way he does investigate things, because we'd hope this didn't happen to anyone else."

Miss Roy said the family has been struggling to come to terms with her mother's death.

She said: "Mum was such a lively, bubbly person who never let her illness get to her.

"She was young at heart and took everything in her stride, despite her illness.

"We still don't know why mum died, and we can't really talk about it because it's in the hands of the fiscal, but we just hope the investigation will give us the answer."

Mrs Roy had been in an intensive care unit since receiving a second transplant for a genetic liver disease in February.

A spokesman for Mr Chisholm said he has since offered his condolences to Mr Roy and had also offered to meet his children.

Miss Roy said her father had asked Mr Chisholm to investigate his wife's fall a few days after it happened, telling the minister he was unhappy with the response of hospital staff on the day of the incident.

In his letter, dated 20 June, Mr Chisholm said he was pleased to learn the family had been offered an apology and a "full explanation" of the incident, as well as subsequent findings from an internal probe.

'Condolences'

He finished the letter by saying: "I hope your wife continues to make good progress towards a full recovery."

Mr Roy asked his local MSP, the Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie, to raise the matter with Mr Chisholm.

The minister wrote back apologising for the distress caused by the letter and said: "I fully endorse your point about the need for checks to be made on the condition of patients before issuing letters."

A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: "Investigations were made, and unfortunately between the time those investigations having been made and the letter being issued the lady died.

"The minister has face to face passed on his condolences to Mr Roy.

"The minister also had a meeting arranged with his two daughters and unfortunately they had to cancel, but that offer is still open."