A woman in Croydon sustained a serious back injury using an NHS bed turning aid after the local authority cut funding for her night-time care.
The woman, who uses a wheelchair, received payments for care staff to help her overnight until January 2022.
However, after a reassessment, the council decided the woman’s overnight care should be funded by the NHS, which would only happen if she moved into a nursing home.
In 2023, while living at home, she told the council she was suffering from deep pressure sores and was subsequently admitted to hospital.
The NHS installed a bed turning aid in her home but on the second night of using it she fractured her spine.
The council told the Ombudsman it had started funding night-time care from August 2024 and intended to claim the money back from the NHS.
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Ms Amerdeep Somal said: ‘While the council and NHS were deciding who should be responsible for this woman’s care package, she was left without adequate care and support and was hospitalised on multiple occasions.
‘If there is any question, once an assessment has been completed, of who is responsible for funding a care package, the person in need of support should never feel the impact of this on their health and welfare. The council should have considered putting in an interim plan while discussions were ongoing with the NHS.’
A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: ‘We are very sorry that we didn’t provide our resident with the care and support that she needed and accept the recommendations from the report. We have apologised and compensated them and will agree how she can pay for her care in the future, providing support as needed.’
