THE family of a great-grandfather and war hero who died after being injured while waiting to leave Basildon Hospital have been given £15,000.

Sidney Gold, 93, had his right cruciate knee ligament torn when in Basildon Hospital in January 2015.

He was being treated for pneumonia but had been given the all clear to be discharged.

However, when in the discharge ward a physiotherapy assistant tried to help him get up – despite medical notes saying at least due people were needed due to his mobility.

Mr Gold banged his knee on the metal frame of the bed and was left in excruciating pain.

He suffered the agonising pain for six months, and contracted sepsis.

He managed to recover from this, but following several bouts of pneumonia, he died in June 2015.

Echo:

Sidney standing next to his taxi

For three years Mr Gold’s daughter Roberta was in a legal battle with the Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals Trust, with the family claiming he never received adequate treatment for his injury as he was readmitted 24 hours after it happened.

They also claim the hospital did little to help minimise the risk of contracting pneumonia, alleging staff did not help him sit in chairs during subsequent visits, and one bout of pneumonia went completely unnoticed.

The trust has now paid Mr Gold’s family, who come from Brentwood, a £15,000 out of court settlement over his death.

Roberta said: “My father was an incredibly strong, independent man who drove a taxi until he was aged 88.

“He was barely in hospital for most of his life, and he served in the Second World War. It’s sad as he could make it through all that, but not make it through the NHS.

“He spent his last few months going in and out of hospital, and caused great stress for us all, I had to stop work and my son had to give up his job so we could look after him.”

Mr Gold, from Brentwood, served in the RAF during the war, where he helped liberate Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany in April 1945.

He left behind two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Echo:

Sidney served in the RAF in the Second World War

His family has donated the settlement money to various animal charities in the UK and internationally, including £6,000 to the Animal Aid Festival held in Brentwood, as Mr Gold was a huge animal lover.

Roberta Gold added: “He was the real old school gentleman with an enormous sense of humour and so very generous.

“Everyone that met him loved him and never forgot him.”

A trust spokesman said: “Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust can confirm that the settlement of a claim brought by Mr Gold’s family has been agreed between the parties.

“The terms of the settlement are confidential to the parties and it would be inappropriate to comment in any detail.

“We would like to express our sincere sympathy to Mr Gold’s family, the death of a loved one is a cause of great sadness in any circumstance."