A WOMAN was scared she would be “left to die” after Islington Council left her in a state of neglect for months, a report by the Social Care Ombudsman has found.

The disabled resident – who is referred to as Ms X in the report – was not visited by the council for nine months even after they were made aware of her difficulties by medical professionals.

Ms X, who had several long-term health conditions, left hospital in March 2023 after which Islington Council was told several times that the woman’s needs were urgent.

The report states, however, that the council said they had a waiting list and had yet to allocate someone to deal with the case.

An assessment was not carried out until December 2023, after the woman had contacted them to say she had not had a bath or shower for a year.

The assessment noted Ms X was bed-bound but the council had still not granted her a care package by April 2024.

Amerdeep Somal, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “It’s incomprehen­sible with the evidence available and the number of contacts the council has had, why it left a women with significant and very obvious unmet needs without any care and support for months on end when she left hospital.”

She added: “I am pleased the council has accepted my recommendations to improve the way it prioritises cases in its waiting list.

“I hope this ensures people with such serious needs do not go without vital support for too long in the future.”

Islington Council has now been ordered to pay the women £3,000 in compensation.

Islington’s health and social care chief, Councillor Flora Williamson, said: “I am sorry for the impact this has had on Ms X.

“The council is determined to make Islington a more equal place, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, and on this occasion we did not live up to our own standards.

“We have written to Ms X to apologise for the avoidable distress and frustration suffered, as well as the delays in assessing her needs and providing the identified care and support.

“I am grateful to Ms X for raising her case with us.

“We have carefully considered the ombudsman’s report in this case and accepted its recommendations in full. We have already implemented all the recommendations and made improvements to the way we prioritise cases for social care assessments and now offer interim care packages for eligible residents with unmet needs.”