Family 'traumatised' by mum's end-of-life care

34 minutes ago

Gabriel StewartLocal Democracy Reporting Service

Ann Bowling was cared for by her daughters in the days before her death, despite a plan for her care being in place, according to the family

Supplied Ann Bowling (left) next to two of her daughters sitting next to each other in a bar. Bowling is holding a glass in her hand. She has short dark-red hair and wears glasses and a green and black leopard print dress. The woman next to her has black hair in a bob and dark sunglasses, a green t-shirt and blue trousers. The woman on the right has blond shoulder-length hair and wears glasses and a green dress with a floral pattern. All of them are smiling at the camera. — Ann Bowling was cared for by her daughters in the days before her death, despite a plan for her care being in place, according to the family

A family said they were left "traumatised" when promised support during the last days of their mother's life was never delivered.

Debra Gundy said her mother Ann Bowling, 78, from Ulverston, deserved "dignity, comfort, and timely support" in her last days, but instead was left with "horrendous" end-of-life care.

A plan had been put in place with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) to care for the former care home manager at home or in a hospice, but despite repeated promises it was never enacted, Gundy said.

The trust said it was sorry to hear of their experience but was unable to comment further as an investigation was ongoing.

Bowling suffered from advanced pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema - both chronic lung conditions - and heart failure in the lead up to her death on 20 October.

Gundy, 52, said herself and her two sisters were left to care for their mother alone, meaning no nurse was there to administer medication they had been given to ease her pain.

"We're all completely traumatised by it, we just feel so bad because we should have been holding my mum's hand and talking about memories and nice things that we've done and all we did was fight with services and not know what we're doing.

"It was just horrendous. It was awful."

'We begged for nurses'

Gundy said her mother's health worsened in July 2026 after a spell in Furness General Hospital with pneumonia, which weakened her lungs further.

The family's understanding was that she would be cared for at home by a rapid response team and if things got too much there would be a place available at a hospice.

Repeated visits from nurses had led to promises of fast-track care as Bowling's health deteriorated and she became bed-bound, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Gundy said: "We were not expecting a miracle, but what we expected was that she would receive the end-of-life care that professionals had assessed and approved and promised."

The sisters have submitted a complaint to the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), which oversees and commissions services from UHMBT.

Gundy said in the week leading up to their mother's death, her and her sisters were told funding was in place for the agreed palliative care, but the package was still out to tender.

Nurses came out three days before her passing to fit a catheter, but Gundy said they failed to pick up that her mother was close to death.

She said: "They told my sister that we'll know when she's dying. My sister was crying saying she's dying now. I know she's dying.

"And they walked out the door and that was the last time we had a nurse."

Ann Bowling's family said they were left traumatised by the experience

Supplied Ann Bowling sat next to her husband, with her three daughter around her. They are sat inside a restaurant, which has exposed wooden beams. Bowling has short dark-red hair and wears glasses and a green, black and white dress with a floral print. They are all smiling at the camera. — Ann Bowling's family said they were left traumatised by the experience

Gundy said she called the district nurse two days later in "an absolute state" and "begged for somebody to come out".

The sisters do not blame any individual nurse but the system and communication between teams.

Gundy said: "She was so poorly and we were on our own, we had no support, absolutely on our own and it was just awful."

She said dozens of other families had been in contact with her since she posted about her experience on social media to say that they had had similar experiences.

"This is why I'm doing it essentially because it needs to change and somebody needs to be accountable."

A spokesperson for the ICB said they were sorry to hear about the family's experience and acknowledged their concerns.

"We have received their complaint and are investigating the circumstances to establish what happened. We will keep the family informed as the investigation progresses.

"As this investigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this stage."

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