Bolton Council care cuts disabled woman 'nearly died'

Kim Jaye has several disabilities and is registered blind

A disabled woman whose care package was cut by more than half has told how she almost died after it was reduced.

Kim Jaye, who has difficulty carrying out basic tasks, ended up in intensive care after she split six stitches when she was left without a carer.

Bolton Council was criticised in a report for its "flawed assessment" of Ms Jaye's case which cut her care from 67 hours-a-week to 25.

The council apologised and said it was reviewing its assessment methods.

Ms Jaye, who has several disabilities and is registered blind, said she was "absolutely devastated" when her package was cut.

"It meant I couldn't do basic things for myself, I couldn't cook, I couldn't clean and I was dropping my medication," she said.

"I get a burning sensation in my hands, as if your hands have been dipped in hot oil," Ms Jaye added.

Ms Jaye was in intensive care after one incident she blames on the lack of care support.

Ms Jaye said she had 75 accidents in a year.

She added: "I almost died - at one stage doctors even had to perform a tracheotomy on me."

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman report, published on Thursday, found the care hours reduction was based on an assessment that was "highly inaccurate".

The ombudsman found the council was at fault for an assessment that did not consider "the woman's fluctuating needs or the cumulative impact of her health conditions, despite clear evidence provided", and included basic errors about her religion and preferred language.

The council reinstated the care package and said in a statement: "We have read the findings of the report closely and will take this as an opportunity to learn and improve our services."