Barts care for elderly woman was 'atrocious'

Nurses at a top London trust left a dying woman malnourished and gave her "atrocious" care, her family said today.

After a four-year battle Barts and the London paid tens of thousands of pounds to the family of Irene Underwood, who died of blood poisoning aged 77.

Mrs Underwood's son Raymond, 59, a taxi driver from Stepney, claimed his mother had developed pressure sores on her lower back and heels that were so severe they caused extensive damage to underlying tissue.

"I can't emphasise just how poor those nurses were," he said. "The care my mother received was atrocious."

Mrs Underwood was admitted to the Royal London hospital in Whitechapel following concerns over poor blood circulation in her leg. But after surgery she contracted MRSA and her condition deteriorated.

Following her death in July 2007, her son launched legal action through solicitors Gadsby Wicks. The trust said the claim was settled with no admission of liability.