Annoyed at suggestions that care was not first-class

Apr 4 2008

We would like to reply to the article concerning Mrs Maria Burns which appeared in the Advertiser of March 13.

Craegmoor Healthcare would like to point out that Mrs Burns was not admitted to Avondale in August as mentioned in the article.

Her admission date was in fact November 2, 2007, and she was admitted to Wishaw General Hospital on February 21, 2008, not February 22 as stated in your article.

Furthermore, we would wish to make it clear that contrary to claims in the article, Mrs Burns had no pressure sores on her back when admitted to hospital.

In addition, the article quotes Mrs Burns’s son Iain as saying that Mrs Burns had an `electric blanket’ on her bed. That is simply not true; Mrs Burns was in fact on a pressure-relieving mattress on the advice of NHS Lanarkshire's tissue viability department.

Finally, I would like to make it clear that no concerns about the standard of care Mrs Burns was receiving were ever raised with Avondale staff by her family.

Day in day out the immensely dedicated and highly professional team at Avondale provides wonderful care and they were deeply upset by the article.

Ted Smith, chief executive officer, Craegmoor Healthcare.

Editor’s note: At the time the article appeared Craegmoor Healthcare were offered the opportunity to comment on Mr Burns’s allegations, but did not do so.