"Poor standards of care and communication"

My father in his 80s was admitted acutely to Ninewells Hospital being transferred to Ward 6 ( on ward 5) via Acute assessment. The day of admission he had been mobile  and independently visited his wife in a nursing home and picked up medication. 

Short lived acute confusion improved over less than a week. However he contracted covid 19 (possibly due to poor infection control procedures, he was negative on admission), he developed pressure areas in his groin and perineum.  Leg oedema, normally controlled with medically prescribed compression stockings, significantly worsened due to lack of elevation and resistance to apply stockings despite them being there and being asked repeatedly to apply them by family.  He required catheterisation and TWOC  failed because it was attempted  having stopped his medication ( prescribed  by his GP long term) and before he became immobile. Physio was very limited, exercises were left out of reach on occasion.   He was not encouraged to mobilise, was left in bed on one day till 4pm approx, was often left in a hospital gown and left with a night bag on the catheter so effectively tied to the bed.  He was in a side room, with  a closed door  and the television did not work. 

Communication to family whilst in the side room in particular, from the team, was limited. 

As a consequence after about 4 weeks he was transferred for rehab to a Community Hospital and after a further 4 weeks continues to struggle to gain independence with lack of muscle strength and balance. There is a real chance he will go from living independently with no care to requiring residential care - something that one of the Doctors said very early in his admission would be an indicator of poor care and outcome.

It is well researched that an elderly person left immobile for so long with a lack of stimulation to orientate will rapidly decline physically and mentally. It is disappointing that a University Teaching Hospital should provide such poor standards of care and communication. This is based on the experience of myself and my husband both of whom have been GPs for 30 years and therefore know what hospitals can and should be doing in the NHS.