A SCOTTISH council has sacked three employees after the death of an elderly woman, amid complaints she twice raised the alarm about her health problems on the night she died.
Yvonne Carrie’s shocked family say they are still waiting for the full details of her death to emerge.
The 74-year-old suffered from lung problems, and had used a community alarm service several times in the past to call for help.
Her family learned she had called for help twice on the night she died, but no one was sent to her house and the family was not contacted.
A care worker found her dead in her home the next day when she visited in October.
Her granddaughter Lynne Wilson said: “We still don’t know anything about what happened that night, we don’t know if they chose to ignore her.
“The council have not told us anything.”
Lynne said she had asked the council for documents relating to the case and recording of Yvonne’s conversation with the alarm centre staff, but Angus council refused to co-operate.
She added: “We are obviously not important to their investigation any more.”
Answers
The family have contacted prosecutors and are waiting for a decision on whether an enquiry into Yvonne’s death will be held.
She lived on her own in Inveraldie, near Dundee, and her son Brian often went to help her when alarm service staff told her she was in trouble.
The community alarm service is monitored from a control room in Kirriemuir.
Users can speak directly to an operator after pressing the alarm.
Doctors, neighbours or family members can then be directed to help.
Yvonne’s family only learned she had raised the alarm twice after they contacted the council to inform them of her death.
They family say they are still waiting for answers.
Four staff members had been suspended earlier as senior managers at the council began investigating the incident.
An Angus council spokeswoman said: “The inquiry is still ongoing. Of the four members of staff who were suspended, three have been dismissed and one has been returned to duty.”
The identities or roles of the sacked staff members have not been released.
Yvonne suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The local authority began investigation after admitting Yvonne called at 9.11pm and 9.15pm on Monday, October 11.
Her son Brian lives just yards away from her home
He said earlier: “I could have been there in 20 seconds had I been notified. Instead, she was dying on her own.”
