Carol McGiffin slams NHS for 'trying to discharge her ill sister' before her tragic death
CAROL MCGIFFIN has hit out at the NHS after her younger sister Tracy lost her battle with cancer at the age of 53.
Carol McGiffin reveals cancer battle - BBC Radio Interview
Carol - who has battled breast cancer herself - said that Tracy had sadly passed away just four months after her shock diagnosis, with the former Loose Women panellist revealing the tragic news in her column last month.
The 56-year-old has now voiced her disappointment towards the NHS, insisting that her sister should not have been discharged when she was so unwell.
The heartbroken star - who had been watching BBC documentary Hospital - wrote: “I better understand the difficult choices that have to be made when prioritising patients, especially when people are piling up in A&E and missed target times are hitting the news.
“But that doesn’t totally excuse what happened with my sister, Tracy, who was repeatedly pressured into being discharged, despite there not being any palliative care home in place, and despite the fact she was seriously ill and, as it turned out, days away from death," she added in Best magazine.
Carol McGiffin hit out at the NHS in her latest column
Carol's sister Tracy lost her battle with cancer aged 53
Carol said her sister should not have been discharged
Tracy was repeatedly pressured into being discharged, despite there not being any palliative care home in place.
Not ending things there, Carol also went on to criticise staff for "always waiting until Tracy was alone before they said anything to her".
She shared: “Worse still, the hospital staff seemed to wait til she was alone before going in and talking to her.
“It stressed her greatly and probably didn’t help with her condition.
“Other people may have been waiting for her bed, but how much more deserving do you need to be?”
Carol has battled breast cancer herself
Carol's comments after she revealed that her sibling had been diagnosed with terminal cancer in the same publication back in December.
The presenter spoke out about how she had helped Tracy through her treatment after she found a lump in her breast.
Carol previously explained: “I don’t think Tracy wants to know how long she has left, although the doctors could probably say. We’re in uncharted water, but she’s trying to be positive. We all are."