Family's fury after elderly woman spent six days in Bronglais corridor

The family of a seriously ill elderly woman have concerns over her care at Bronglais Hospital after claiming she spent six days in a corridor and that a treasured family ring went missing during her stay.

The 82-year-old woman, whose family has asked not be named because of her medical condition, was admitted to the Aberystwyth hospital following a fall at her care home.

Her son, Ian Edwards-Jones, said she has dementia, cancer and fluid on the brain, and claimed she remained in a corridor from Monday, 28 September until Saturday, 3 October.

Mr Edwards-Jones, who lives in Staffordshire and travelled to visit his mother, said he had already been told by relatives that she had been bedbound and placed in a corridor.

When he arrived, he said he found her distressed, confused and facing what he described as a bare wall, without a window or other stimulation nearby. He said the family was told that a lack of available bed spaces was the reason she had been placed there.

Mr Edwards-Jones said he was particularly concerned about the effect the surroundings could have had on someone living with dementia and other serious health conditions.

Following a complaint to a duty manager, he said his mother was moved onto a ward. He said “With her conditions, and not knowing how much time she may have left, I just felt she should have had more dignity and a more suitable environment.”

The family has also raised concerns over the disappearance of a 22-carat gold and diamond engagement ring which had belonged to the woman’s mother.

Mr Edwards-Jones said the ring was kept on a gold chain alongside two other rings and claimed a patient possessions record was not completed until several days after his mother’s admission. He said the family believed the record was completed only after relatives noticed one of the rings was missing.

Mr Edwards-Jones stressed there was no evidence the ring had been stolen, but said its disappearance had been reported to Dyfed-Powys Police.

The ring, he said, had significant sentimental value and was intended to be passed down to future generations of the family.

Mr Edwards-Jones has also made a formal complaint about his mother’s care and said he wanted the circumstances surrounding both the corridor stay and the missing ring to be examined.

Mr Edwards-Jones, a military veteran, said his sense of duty and care for his family had driven him to raise the concerns, and hopes the report can inform others.

Sharon Daniel, Hywel Dda University Health Board's Executive Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Experience, said the board could not comment on individual cases because of patient privacy.

She said: “We are always sorry to hear that a patient is not satisfied with the experiences they have received while in our care.

“Our aim is for all patients and their families to feel listened to, supported and treated with dignity, compassion and respect throughout their care.”

The Health Board said it was working to reduce waiting times and improve timely access to treatment, and encouraged anyone with concerns about care to contact its Patient Support Team.