Yorkshire care home resident has ‘permanent damage’ after being left with four-day erection, claims mum

An investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman states the man named as “Y” had to undergo surgery and has been left with permanent damage. Y’s mother, known as Mrs B, who complained on Y’s behalf says staff at the hospital told her he was left for far too long and should “not have been left for more than four hours”.

She says the unnamed home, which is run by Barnsley Council, did nothing for four days. The ombudsman did not “find fault in the way the home dealt with this incident”, and noted the council’s safeguarding team “investigated the incident immediately afterwards and did not find evidence of neglect”.

A safeguarding investigation was carried out when during a visit to Mrs B’s home in February 2022, Y indicated that he had experienced some pain in his penis. According to the report, Y returned to the home that day and Ms B informed the home of what Y had said. The home recorded this in its communication records, and decided to contact the GP the following day, suspecting a possible urine infection.

The following day, the daily records say staff assisted Y into the shower, and there is “no record” of him reporting further pain. The home sent a urine sample to the GP, which showed Y “did not have a urine infection”. The communication record for the next day says at 10am Y came downstairs, and it was “clear he had an erection”. Staff told Y to go back upstairs.

The daily records say Y remained in bed during the morning. They say staff supported Y into the shower at around 13:30. The home’s ‘appointments regarding healthcare’ records say Y mentioned to staff during the day that he had got an erection but it “kept going down”. This was handed over to the night shift. At 9pm, the record says Y was displaying “inappropriate behaviour” and went to his room at 8pm.

The report states: “The healthcare record says Y told the senior carer that the erection would not go down. It says staff checked on him at 20:30 and he said he felt okay and was not in pain. At 9pm staff checked again. Y said he was in pain, so staff called 111. A clinician called back at around 9.40pm and said Y would need to go to A&E as soon as possible. Staff supported Y to A&E.

“At hospital Y was diagnosed with priapism. This is described on the NHS website as a painful, long-lasting erection. It says if someone has an erection that lasts more than two hours to call 999 or got to A&E. Prompt treatment is needed to avoid permanent tissue damage that can cause erectile dysfunction. The hospital contacted Ms B in the early morning of the following day. Ms B attended the hospital.

“She says Y had to undergo surgery and has been left with permanent damage. Ms B says staff at the hospital told her that Y was left for far too long and should not have been left for more than four hours. She says the home did nothing for four days.”

In her complaint, Mrs B also alleged that home neglected his personal care, did not involve family in decisions and reviews, and failed to properly investigate safeguarding incidents. Mrs B says Y suffered a serious injury due to a lack of proper care, and that BMBC did not take the concerns she raised seriously. The ombudsman did find fault in the home’s recording of dental and personal care and in how the council and home responded to reports of missing belongings, but did not find fault in the home’s care leading to the serious injury, or in the council’s overall response to safeguarding concerns.

Ms B says Y’s behaviour has changed since living at the home and he now does inappropriate things he did not used to do, making it more difficult for him to be around family.

The report adds: “I can see Mrs B first raised concerns three days before Y’s admission to hospital. The home did investigate this by contacting the GP and taking a urine sample. I cannot see any record in these days before the admission to hospital that staff were aware of Y displaying symptoms of a permanent erection or ongoing pain.

“On the day Y went to hospital, staff were aware at 10:00 that Y had an erection. There is no record of whether he continued to have one at 13:30 when staff supported him into the shower. Either way it is possible that staff my not have recognised that it had been continuous

“If staff were aware that Y had a continual erection from 10:00 until 21:00, and that this was causing pain, there is no question medical attention should have been sought far earlier. However, based on the information available I cannot find clear evidence that was the case. Therefore, on balance, I have not found fault in the way the Home dealt with this incident. I also note the council’s safeguarding team investigated the incident immediately afterwards and did not find evidence of neglect.”

BMBC agreed to apologise to Mrs B and pay £200 to “recognise the distress caused”.

Councillor Jenny Platts, cabinet spokesperson for place health and adult social care, said: “Barnsley Council has fully engaged in the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s investigations. We welcome the findings by the Ombudsman that our contract management and safeguarding approaches were used appropriately.

“We continue working with residents, providers and carers to develop our vision for adult social care, where all the care and support are available at the right time and in the right place. It is vital that we are confident in the quality of care and support people receive in care homes, and note the areas we can follow up with our providers arising from aspects raised in this case.”