Elderly care inspectors had to answer help buzzers

A report by Healthcare Improvement Scotland said there was a lack of staff and the inspectors had to intervene on two occasions to assist patients at Ferryfield House who had waited up to ten minutes.

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The inspectors also visited three other elderly wards - at Astley Ainslie Hospital, Ellen’s Glen House and Findlay House - and highlighted poor staffing levels, weaknesses in record keeping and a lack of leadership.

The report was prompted by a complaint from the family of RAF veteran Bill Oliver, who died in Ellen’s Glen House in 2014. They said he had been left without pain relief and was left in soiled clothes.

NHS Lothian said the report highlighted many areas of good practice but accepted there were “areas where we need to improve”.

It said many of the points made by inspectors had already been addressed.