South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

2. Mr R complains about the care and treatment his father received from the Trust in September 2020. Specifically, he complains that:

• while his father was under the Trust’s care on 25 September 2020 staff members went to his house and stole his savings • the Trust intentionally gave him an overdose of medication to end his life, and • the overall treatment the Trust provided to his father was below the standard he would expect.

3. He says the actions of the staff at the Trust were intentional and aimed to take his father’s life. He also says he was left financially out of pocket.

4. Mr R says he would like the people involved to be dealt with by the law and to never be able to work again.

5. He says he wants to be financially compensated £1 million for the suffering he and his family have experienced.

Stolen money and intentional overdose

8. Mr R says while his father was in respite care members of staff went to his house and stole his cash savings. He also says during his father’s treatment the Trust gave his father an intentional overdose of medication to deliberately end his life.

9. Mr R’s claims are allegations of criminal acts. We cannot determine whether crimes have been committed. Therefore, these complaints would be more appropriately dealt with by the police and we will take no further action on them.

Overall care and treatment

10. The law says we cannot investigate a complaint where a person has the option to take legal action, unless we consider this is unreasonable in the circumstances. We have discussed this with Mr R to understand his circumstances and the outcomes he wants. We do not consider whether legal action would succeed but whether it would be a reasonable option to look into.

11. Mr R says the overall standard of care and treatment his father received by the Trust was not anywhere near a standard he would expect. He says his father was left dehydrated in his final days. He is claiming the Trust was negligent in his father’s care and treatment.

12. He is claiming the poor care ended with the staff at the Trust ending his father’s life prematurely. Mr R says he wants to receive financial compensation for what happened to his father in the amount of £1 million.

13. Legal action could provide the outcome Mr R wants. He could pursue a clinical negligence claim. We have seen no barriers that in our view mean it would be unreasonable to expect him to take this route. Mr R said he would take this to a solicitor if we closed the case. Therefore, we will not proceed with the complaint.

14. Once again, we are sorry to hear about Mr R’s father’s death and we offer our condolences to him.

1. We have carefully considered Mr R’s complaint about South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust). We consider Mr R could take legal action on the matter he has brought to us. Some of the complaints he has raised would also be more suitable for the police to consider. We are sorry to hear about the events that led to Mr R’s complaint and the obvious distress they have caused him.