Hospital launches scan inquiry

Mr Cherbi's mother died in Borders General Hospital

An investigation has begun after a man said he had to help give a brain scan to his dying mother at a hospital in Scotland.

Peter Cherbi said he had to assist staff while his mother Barbara, 72, was treated at Borders General Hospital, near Melrose.

His mother died at the hospital last month.

Ralph Roberts, spokesman for Borders General Hospital NHS Trust, said: "The gentleman concerned has made a complaint, we are investigating. There isn't much more we can say at the moment.

How many sons wearing lead jackets have to hold their mothers down on the scanning table?

Peter Cherbi

"We have had a written complaint from the man concerned. We are obviously distressed by a lot of things he said happened.

"We have a responsibility to investigate them within 28 days, and we have told him that is what we will do.

"We are very sympathetic to him and will do what we can to explain what did happen."

Asked if Mr Cherbi was bringing legal action, he said: "I am not in a position to say."

Peter Cherbi: "Highly irregular"

Mr Roberts added that the hospital had a good record of patient car and there were no staff shortages.

Mr Cherbi, 31, from Jedburgh, is reported to have said he had to put on a lead jacket before helping staff.

"How many sons wearing lead jackets have to hold their mothers down on the scanning table while their mum gets a brain scan which the consultant did not even want to do until the next day - more than four hours after admission with a stroke?" he told a newspaper.

"When we arrived at the scan theatre the porter's pager bleeped and he was called to another part of the hospital.

"The nurse in charge of the scanner asked the porter if he could help move my mum onto the scanner table but he had to go so I said I would do it.

"The nurse in charge said it was highly irregular that I was in the scanner theatre and that it had never happened before."