Disabled man given 'disgusting' care in hospital

Shaun Cooke has been put at repeated risk of overdose, his parents say

The parents of a severely disabled man have said he received "absolutely disgusting" treatment while in hospital, which included staff forgetting to give him his epilepsy medication for six hours and then risking giving him an overdose.

Shaun Cooke, from Suckley in Worcestershire, has the mental age of a two-year-old and has conditions including Addison's disease and epilepsy, according to his parents.

They have expressed concern over a number of incidents at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where their son has been admitted several times this year.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said it would look into these concerns and give Mr Cooke's family a full response.

When Shaun Cooke, 30, was taken to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital on 26 March with pneumonia and sepsis, his family said staff forgot to give him his epilepsy medication for six hours, then scheduled his next dose at a time which would have given him an overdose.

John and Tracy Cooke said the hospital tried to give their son an overdose on another recent visit after not believing he had already been given his medication by his sister.

Shaun Cooke was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was four and has complex medical needs

Shaun Cooke also has Addison's disease - a rare disorder of the adrenal glands which means he does not produce enough cortisol or aldosterone.

John Cooke said he had to demonstrate to staff over a video call how to administer a hormone replacement injection on his son as staff did not know how to do it.

"We have Shaun back home now as we don't feel the hospital are capable of looking after him," John Cooke said.

"It just makes you worry about what is going on in the NHS. It's a very worrying time."

Stephen Collman, managing director of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We're sorry if any part of the care that Shaun received from us fell short of the high standards that we set ourselves.

"We've spoken directly to Shaun's parents this week and promised that we will look into the concerns they have raised and give them a full response."

Tracy and John Cooke are the sole carers for their son and told the BBC: "We do everything for him, that's our life"

John and Tracy Cooke act as 24/7 carers to their son, who at the age of four was given a 2% chance of survival when he was diagnosed with an extremely rare brain tumour.

The couple said the stress of caring for their son while having no respite had taken a toll.

"I cry every day. Every single day," John Cooke said.

"We do everything for him. That's our life. We have no respite. We have no friends, no-one.

"When you reach adulthood in the care system, you get nothing, they wash their hands of you."