The injuries reportedly suffered by an 80-year-old man during a stay in Airedale General Hospital will raise alarm bells for all families of elderly and vulnerable people.

Brendan Phelan’s family found him with a black eye and a bite on his wrist while he was in Airedale after suffering a stroke and being treated for dementia. Because of his condition, it is unlikely that they will ever fully know the circumstances that led to the injuries, although they understand it involved an altercation with another patient, but they believe a major factor was a lack of staff on the ward.

The family are concerned enough to have removed him from the hospital and say he will not be going back there.

Bradford District Care Trust, which was responsible for the care Mr Phelan was receiving, has promised it will investigate the circumstances, but say they will not comment further due to patient confidentiality.

The family, though, believe that staff are too thin on the ground; they do not hold them responsible in any way, but say there are simply stretched to a ridiculous limit.

Relatives expect family members to be safe in hospital, and it is deeply disturbing when this sort of incident happens. Mr Phelan himself, already vulnerable and confused, must have been left terrified by what happened to him.

This paper’s With Respect campaign has highlighted the importance of treating our elderly with dignity and allowing them to grow old gracefully. Whatever led to it, this sort of incident simply should not occur in our hospitals.

The traumatic ordeal of Mr Phelan and his family cannot be allowed to happen to other patients and their relatives.