Hounslow Council Accused Of Failing Terminally Ill Woman After Urgent Care Plea

The daughter of a Hounslow woman with an inoperable brain tumour says delays, an inaccurate assessment and pressure to accept a care arrangement have overwhelmed the family. The council says discussions are continuing but has declined to address the allegations publicly.

Hounslow Council has been accused of failing to provide adequate adult social care to a terminally ill woman and threatening to consider placing her in a care home if her daughter did not become her paid carer.

Patricia Garland was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour after falling on a loose paving slab in February and undergoing a hospital scan. Her daughter, Moya Garland, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that attempts to secure urgent support had since “taken over” their lives.

Moya said the family first requested help in February but did not hear from the council until March 18. Patricia’s GP completed an SR1 medical report on April 14, while the family said a written Care Act assessment was not received until May 15.

She also alleged that the assessment contained false statements about Patricia’s family background, religion, previous care arrangements and supposed contact with the Marie Curie charity.

The document reportedly described Patricia as being of Irish descent, referred to her late husband as Hungarian Jewish and claimed the couple had lived in Brazil. Moya said those details were untrue and described the assessment as “utterly farcical”.

Council Accused Of Pressuring Daughter Into Caring Role

Moya said she had sought practical support, including bathroom and mobility adaptations, but was instead offered £14.10 an hour to care for her mother for 35 hours each week.

She rejected the proposal, arguing that Patricia required round-the-clock support and that accepting it would force her to give up a business she had run for 25 years while continuing to provide most of the care unpaid.

Moya alleged that she was then told residential care might have to be considered. Hounslow Council has not publicly confirmed the proposed payment, the number of hours offered or the alleged warning about a care home.

The authority initially declined to comment because the case was going through its formal complaints procedure. After that process concluded, it said it was still speaking to the family to find a way forward and did not consider detailed public comment appropriate.

No independent body has published findings on the dispute, meaning the family’s allegations have not been formally upheld or rejected.

What Do The Official Care Rules Say?

An SR1 is medical evidence used to support benefit claims made under the government’s Special Rules for people nearing the end of life. It can lead to faster processing of certain Department for Work and Pensions benefits, but it is not itself a statutory fast-track order requiring a council to complete an adult social care assessment within a fixed number of days.

The Care Act assessment duty is separate. Government guidance says an assessment should establish a person’s needs, the effect on their wellbeing and the outcomes they want to achieve. The local authority remains responsible for ensuring the assessment is complete and accurate, even when parts of the work are delegated.

Hounslow’s published process says initial assessment information is reviewed within 24 hours. The council says it then contacts the applicant within 28 days to arrange a full assessment, provide information or explain that the person is not eligible for council-funded support.

The exact date of the family’s first February request has not been published, so it is not possible to determine from the available information alone whether the council exceeded that stated 28-day period.

Moya has also questioned whether the person who visited Patricia was a registered social worker after being unable to find the name on Social Work England’s register.

“Social worker” is a protected title and may only be used by someone who is registered. However, councils may use other suitably trained staff to carry out care assessments, so absence from the register would not alone prove that an assessor was unauthorised unless that person had represented themselves as a social worker.

Hounslow’s complaints information says residents can complain when they are refused a service or are unhappy with the support received. It normally promises a written response within ten to 20 working days.

For now, the council says discussions with the Garland family are continuing. It has not said whether Patricia’s assessment will be corrected, whether additional home support will be provided or whether the disputed care proposal remains under consideration.