Malcolm Chilton has been admitted to the Royal Stoke three times

08:56, 27 Aug 2025Updated 05:47, 08 Sep 2025

Chris Chilton (L) says dad Malcolm Chilton (M) was left to lie in his own urine

The family of a dementia patient have lodged a complaint over their loved-one’s care in Stoke-on-Trent’s main hospital. Royal Stoke University Hospital is now ‘looking into the issues raised’.

Malcolm Chilton has dementia and mobility issues and has been admitted to the Royal Stoke on three occasions in the past nine months. The 78-year-old cannot go to the bathroom independently, eat certain foods, or ask for help.

The grandad-of-two was first admitted to the Royal Stoke last year after contracting Covid.

Son Chris Chilton, of Brown Edge, said: “He went to the hospital for three weeks with Covid last year. We told the staff about his dementia; how he couldn’t do certain things, couldn’t eat certain foods, couldn’t look after himself.

“I snuck onto the ward because I feared they wouldn’t be treating him right. I could see that he hadn’t been eating properly or having fluids. I sat there with him for five hours. Nobody came in that entire time. Luckily, I could give him a drink and something to eat. He lost weight in there.

“When he came out, he was returned to his care home. They do a skin test once they get them back in and they discovered he’d been left with burns all over his backside and down his legs as a result of being left in his own urine. The care staff said it was one of the worst cases they’d ever seen. The district nurse had to come out and change his dressings every day for the next six months.”

Malcolm Chilton was left lying in wet sheets

Malcolm had been discharged from the Royal Stoke on December 27. He was readmitted two days later with pneumonia. Malcolm was then back in the Royal Stoke on July 19 with pneumonia.

Chris added: “I told them what had happened last time he was in the hospital. I asked for him to be sent to a different ward to ensure the same thing wouldn’t happen again. He was sent to a different ward like we requested. But as soon as we visited, we pulled the sheets back and he was wet all the way down to his feet. He had a nappy pad on and he still managed to soak the bed.”

Chris added: “It’s absolutely disgusting. We made a complaint last time this happened and got taken into a private room where the person in charge of the ward typed it all up and promised it would get looked into. We were promised someone would contact us. We never heard anything. I think somebody needs to be held accountable.”

Chris Chilton says his father’s seats were wet-through

Royal Stoke is aware of Chris’ concerns.

Chief Nurse Ann-Marie Riley said: “We are very sorry to hear about Mr Chilton’s experience while under our care. Our patient advice and liaison service has received correspondence from the family and we are working with them to look into the issues they have raised. We treat all concerns raised with us seriously and have a thorough process to investigate and share the findings with patients and their families.”

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