Stroke victim’s family from Barking hits out at six-month ‘farce’ over toilet seat

A family have criticised the council’s disabled services after their paralysed mum was left without a suitable disabled seat for six months.

They say stroke victim Ruby Brown, 81, was badly let down by the disability team, which delivered the wrong bathroom chair, fitted with a concealed toilet, six times.

Her son Derek, 48, claimed measurements for the shower seat had been taken “more times than for Kate Middleton’s dress”.

His sister Sheila branded the deliveries a “complete farce” after discovering the latest seat has a potty that keeps falling out.

Mr Brown, of Hurstbourne Gardens, Barking, said: “We reckon this chair is available locally for a few hundred quid – but so far has cost in the region of �3,000 in deliveries.

“It has been measured more times than Kate Middleton’s dress. We are fed up.”

A nurse recommended Mrs Brown’s rusty chair was replaced in January as it was leaking and its footrest was blocked, the family said.

Sheila said drivers delivered two chairs that were 7ft high, too big for Mrs Brown to sit on, four that were too narrow, then came back trying to offload the same commode once more.

She also said a driver once called them because he was lost in their street and could not find their home – despite an unmistakable disabled parking bay outside.

Sheila, who is also Mrs Brown’s carer, said: “So many people have been involved in this.

“Before deliveries someone has to photograph the chair and measure it.

“Now we’ve got a new one but every time you sit on it the potty falls out.

“It’s been a complete farce from start to finish.”

A Barking and Dagenham spokesman said: “The council is currently investigating a complaint made by Mrs Brown and in order not to compromise this process, we are unable to comment at this point in time.”