"Integration of Health and Social Care"

One month later mother is still in hospital - my understanding is that she shouldn't be there but it would appear that there is no services or a residential placement to offer mother yet. Is this not bed blocking? No response received to date from anyone.

Another month has passed and mother is still in the community hospital. I visited the Highlands following the response that I had received and I made contact with a number of staff in social care. I learned a great deal about what had been happening and following this after I had returned home made a request for a comprehensive care needs assessment and enquiries about direct payments. My visits to mother in hospital were also enlightening and spoke with a number of staff with mother present about her situation. They too I would imagine are frustrated by the inactivity and the fact that it is preventing others from being admitted to this hospital. They were extremely helpful and understanding. It must however affect their morale the fact that people who are ready for discharge are not being discharged. It certainly is impacting on my mother's well being and mine! I think Social Care's Plan A and B need to be reviewed and maybe it is time for Plan C!! I think many questions need to be asked about my mother's 'treatment', for example are her human rights being violated? The Scottish National Action Plan on Human Rights identified these issues as being of major concern.

Four months in the community hospital is fast approaching! Still not had the Care Needs Assessment. Still no word of a residential placement nor an alternative package, not even a temporary one. This is totally unacceptable. No more spin, no more excuses. Time for an appropriate placement for my mother even if it is only a temporary one until something long term is found.

20 weeks since admitted to the Community Hospital and mother is still there! Nursing staff are looking after her very well but it is not where she should be. Person centred care it is not.

I didn't find the response from NHS helpful because a formal complaint had been made at the beginning of June and followed up with a further phone call to the complaints section and a further telephone call to a senior officer in NHS. I also wrote again detailing my complaint (with a number of further issues being raised!) in August. I contacted the Complaints section again (adding to my previous complaints) and learned that the investigation had yet to commence. I wrote to the Head of Public Relations and Engagement following the last post to clarify the situation but as of today had no response. My mother remains in hospital and her condition I believe is deteriorating. There is no word of her being discharged.

I don't find response at all helpful as I have already stated the complaint was made in June. No mention of this in response. Furthermore I have been told that the investigation is to be made by the person who is responding and had been delayed and once started would take at least 40 working days. Personally I believe that there should be an independent inquiry in to what is happening in the Highlands.

PS My mother is still in hospital awaiting a placement

49 working days have now passed since I lodged my complaint for the second time, the first being in June. Still no response from investigating officer. Mother is still in hospital. More and more issues have been raised about my mother's case since then. Not a satisfactory situation but am at a loss as to what further action I can take.

Mother was finally admitted to a care home, her first choice late last week. She has settled in remarkably well. Thanks to all responsible for this and a special thank you to all nursing staff who looked after her while she was in hospital.

Still no response about the investigation in to complaints and what action is to be taken.

61 working days have now passed since written complaint submitted. Response awaited.

Finally received a response concerning my written complaint. It was dated 2 December 2016 and it took 83 days. It has in some way addressed many of the issues raised and acknowledges a number of shortcomings. I have been offered an opportunity to discuss further some of these issues which I hope to take. Thanks to Patient Opinion for providing an opportunity to raise these concerns. Mother continues to do well in her new home.