Dying man left on floor of 'unsafe' HMO for two days

A council failed to help an elderly dad who fell and spent days on the floor of his bedsit "covered in urine and faeces" before he died, a report has found.

The 69-year-old, from Oldham, named "John" in a review published this week, was discharged from Royal Oldham Hospital on 18 October 2024 after being treated for severe malnutrition and an acute kidney injury.

He was discharged to the house in multiple occupation (HMO) he was said not to feel safe in, and when Oldham Council got no response from him, it failed to tell other authorities, and he died two days after being found by his daughter.

Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board said it took the findings "extremely seriously".

John had shared with hospital staff that he did not feel safe in the HMO because five other people living in it had drug and alcohol problems.

He was told that despite this a housing application was "unlikely to be accepted".

Council staff were unaware John had no central heating or hot water due to a broken boiler, and no way to reheat or cook food.

Some of this information had been flagged to the adult social care team, but should have been share with health professionals before the discharge, the report found.

It emerged later that John had fallen at home soon after his hospital discharge and was unable to call for help.

For several days, he remained on the floor, developing pressure ulcers and becoming "covered in urine and faeces".

When his daughter discovered him on 5 November 2024, there was "evidence of maggots on his lower legs'".

John was taken to hospital and died on 7 November.

The report found there were "several missed opportunities" to assess John's care needs and follow up on safeguarding concerns after his hospital discharge.

Chairman of Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board Dr Henri Giller said its priority was "to learn from this case".

"The safeguarding review identified areas where care did not meet the expected standards, and we are deeply sorry," he said.

"The review has been completed, and we have taken the findings extremely seriously," he said.

"Actions have been taken to strengthen how we support and safeguard adults who may be vulnerable.

This includes improving communication and coordination between services, particularly when planning hospital discharges."

A spokesperson for the Northern Care Alliance, who run Royal Oldham Hospital, added the Trust is working closely with the local authority to improve patient experiences and safety after discharge from hospital.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.