'I could have been left in there dead for weeks'

11:44am Sunday 23rd March 2008

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FOUR weeks without a bath and unable even to get dressed, a vulnerable disabled man claims he was let down by York's home help service.

Tony Bailey, of Acomb, in York, was sent home from York Hospital in a taxi after undergoing day surgery to his legs that left him with bandages from his waist down.

Unable to walk, he said he did not move from his settee for ten days and it was another month before he was able to bath.

During the four months he was in bandages, the 52-year-old, who also suffers from hearing loss, reduced vision and night blindness, claims he received only one visit from City of York Council's social services' team.

He said: "I live by myself in a one-bed council flat and was in an extremely vulnerable position. I was like a mummy because of all the bandages and I couldn't do anything.

"I couldn't walk, I couldn't cook, I couldn't bath, I couldn't even change my clothes.

"If it wasn't for my friend coming to check on me, I could have been left in there dead for weeks and weeks and nobody would have known."

Mr Bailey said apart from one food package dropped off by social services about four days after his return home, he received no help and instead relied on his friend to bring him sandwiches.

His troubles began in February 2006 after a fall left him with severely damaged veins in his legs and blood clots in the groin and knees.

Unable to continue his work as a painter and decorator, Mr Bailey underwent day surgery in December 2006 to remove the veins and blood clots.

Feeling let down by social services, he lodged a complaint with City of York Council in January 2007 and following an eight-month investigation, this was partially upheld by an independent consultancy firm.

The report agreed there had been no provision of services from social services to assist with Mr Bailey's needs, but did not agree that there had been no communication from social services staff.

Mr Bailey was offered £250 in compensation from City of York Council, which he reluctantly accepted two months ago.

He said: "It cost me £450 to pay for a friend to deal with my needs while I was in that state, so £250 is no where near enough. I just hope that they've got the system sorted out now so that nobody else has to go through what I went through. That kind of treatment is appalling."

A spokesperson for City of York Council said it would not be appropriate to discuss Mr Bailey's case in any detail since it had been settled.

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