Departed are asked to rate their NHS

DOZENS of dead people in the Lothians have been sent a questionnaire asking them how they rated their stay in hospital.

The form, designed to find out how well the NHS is faring, was sent to more than 900 dead people across Scotland.

Among the 33 questions it posed to the deceased were whether they felt their doctors listened to them, and what arrangements were made for them to leave the hospital.

Health chiefs wanted to ask patients how good their treatment was, how long they had to wait in accident and emergency, and if the nurse knew enough about their condition.

The national inpatient experience study also questioned if the toilets were clean, and whether patients were bothered by noise at night.

The Scottish Government confirmed that 903 surveys were sent to dead people, including 75 in the Lothian area. A spokeswoman said a review was in place.