Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged the failings identified in the care of 93-year-old Joyce Musson, apologised for the concern, distress and pain caused, and paid a £550 financial remedy.

Musson's daughter, Sarah, said she had been ‘very badly let down by the NHS', adding: ‘The impact has been awful because mum used to live with me and I looked after her. Now I have to go to the nursing home every day to see her. It's quite a trip, and life is completely different and not for the better.'

Musson, from Bideford in Devon, developed a pressure sore at the top of her buttock in 2021. District nurses from Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust visited weekly to check and dress the sore, but the visits suddenly stopped on 14 September 2022.

Musson's daughter contacted the trust on 13 October after the sore deteriorated. A nurse came to clean the sore, but it continued to get worse. She was admitted to hospital on 18 November 2022.

In February 2023 Musson was discharged to a care home and now requires 24-hour care indefinitely and is mostly bedbound.

The investigation found the trust missed opportunities to treat the sore, which contributed to its deterioration and did not acknowledge the impact its failure had on the two women.

The ombudsman said the trust also did not follow relevant guidelines to provide Musson with a consistent wound care plan and dressings.

A Royal Devon University NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: ‘We would like to share our unreserved apologies with this patient and their family for the failures they experienced in the care they received. 

‘Offering excellent patient care across all of our services is of paramount importance to us. We are working to an action plan to meet the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's recommendations to ensure we learn from this case and prevent anything like this happening again.'