NHS comes under fire over care for the terminally ill

Councillors have slammed NHS Bedfordshire for not providing enough continuing care for terminally ill patients.

Bedford Borough Council's adult social care and health PRD committee received an update from NHS Bedfordshire on Thursday night regarding continuing health care as well as detailed answers to questions that were put forward at a previous meeting last month.

But the response from the NHS was not well received, particularly as the person who should have been at the meeting had gone on holiday.

When councillors were offered the opportunity to ask extra questions, the people who were representing the NHS were unable to supply answers.

Cllr Nicky Attenborough said: "Fairly horrific is the best way that I can describe what happened on Thursday night - the NHS were appalling and it is not good enough.

"I don't know what sort of partnership the NHS had with the former county council but it was not serving the needs of members of the public. We as a borough council want more.

"Cllr Pat Olney, whose husband Robin was terminally ill and died recently, attended the meeting to ask questions about care for patients.

"Cllr Olney had to pay £150 for a night nurse because the NHS refused to provide one. As she pointed out, she could do that, but what about residents who can't?

"It seems that terminally ill patients are sent home and their families are expected to look after them.

"People are bewildered, frightened and too grief stricken to be able to deal with the situation.

"I want a reaction from the NHS as soon as possible and it needs to be much more than just a response to our concerns."