WARNING: Graphic images below

A granddaughter fears her nan could have lost her leg or even died after she claims visiting nurses failed to treat an infection which led to three of her toes being amputated.

Kimberley Bracey, 33, has been desperately trying to get her grandmother Margaret Medhurst rehomed with her in Gravesend for the last two years due to her complex care needs.

The 78-year-old lives at St Gregory's Court, a retirement housing complex run by Gravesham council, with some care staffing services provided by the HCRG care group.

Over the last two years Mrs Medhurst has suffered a fractured shoulder and undergone a hip replacement resulting in numerous falls at all times of the day.

The most recent happened in June when she fell and cut her leg.

District nurses were called in to dress the former café worker's wound, as it kept leaking and making her sock wet.

However, Mrs Medhurst – who is a type 2 diabetic and does not have much feeling in her feet – was unknowingly rubbing the bottom of her sole causing it to blister.

Granddaughter Kim claims nurses failed to spot the warning signs of a developing infection and that over a two month period her condition deteriorated under their supervision.

"The nurses were coming to monitor this but were not seeing nan when they was suppose to," she explained.

"When I saw nan's foot I questioned the nurse, asking 'does nan need more antibiotics?' She told me 'no', it was water.

"However I took photos and sent them to nan's doctors the same day and they sent an ambulance out within two hours. We were lucky I was there because the nurse never reported this."

Medics later confirmed the GP's suspicion that Mrs Medhurst was suffering with osteomyelitis – a form of bone infection.

This resulted in her needing two separate surgeries including the amputation of three toes on her left foot.

"This care is totally unacceptable," she said. "My nan could have died and had a 30% chance of losing her leg."

Safeguarding concerns were raised on August 22 with the HCRG care group which carried out an investigation.

It says it found its district nursing team had acted at all times in line with the "robust policies and procedures" it has in place.

But at the time of writing Mrs Medhurst's family say they are yet to receive an official response or the full report. The 30-day time period has now elapsed.

"My nan could have died and had a 30% chance of losing her leg"

Kim also believes the situation could have been avoided if they were all housed together.

She currently lives in a two-bed council flat in Northfleet with her husband, two sons and stepdaughter, who currently uses a small cupboard room as her bedroom.

The mum-of-three says she has contacted the council, Gravesham MP Adam Holloway, as well as adult social services, about their cramped living arrangements.

But there is a shortage of suitable-sized home available which would accommodate them and so far she says all meaningful attempts to get their housing needs re-evaluated have been unsuccessful.

"I have had medical professionals also contact them on my behalf but it's like the council couldn't care less," she said.

"As it is we are in two separate council accommodations and with the housing crisis we only need one, you would think it would help.

"Nan is also paying towards carers four times a day with the council paying the rest. If we were housed together we would have no need."

Meanwhile, Gravesham council said it sympathises with the family's situation and is committed to bringing down waiting times for social housing.

Cllr Jenny Wallace, Gravesham council’s cabinet member for housing services, said: “We have been very concerned to hear of the health issues and injuries suffered by Mrs Medhurst.

“Having been provided with evidence of Mrs Bracey’s change in circumstances, the family’s housing need has changed and they have been moved from band C to band B on our housing register. This means Mrs Bracey can actively bid when suitable sized homes become available.

“In the last year we carried out a thorough review of our housing register to ensure our council-owned homes are available for those that have a local connection with the borough and homes are allocated to those with a housing need.

“Even so, with 1,060 households requiring social housing demand outstrips supply, which is why we are committed to building more council homes in the borough.

“Since 2019 we have built 122 new council-owned houses for those on our housing register, have a planning application in for a further 46, and have a pipeline of 500 more for delivery over the next five years.

“While I understand and sympathise that this doesn’t make life any easier for those waiting for a home to become available, it does illustrate our commitment to bringing those waiting times down as fast as we possibly can.”

Last week, Mrs Medhurst, who now walks with a frame, was discharged from hospital.

"We apologise that this investigation took longer than anticipated and have assured Mrs Bracey that she will receive the full investigation report this week.”

However, when family came to check on her and administer her medication they found she had passed out on her commode.

Kim added: "I was at her flat by 8pm calling an ambulance due to nan passing out multiple times and being sick due to low blood pressure. She could not sit up she was in her own mess.

"I had to cut her out of her PJs to clean her up, the whole time having to keep checking her and keep her conscious."

Mrs Medhurst was blue-lighted to Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, where she remains under supervision.

A spokesperson for HCRG Care Group said: “We take all complaints extremely seriously and, in response to Mrs Bracey’s concerns, have carried out a comprehensive investigation which found that our district nursing team acted at all times in line with the robust policies and procedures that we have in place.

"We apologise that this investigation took longer than anticipated and have assured Mrs Bracey that she will receive the full investigation report this week.”