The family of the late philanthropist and human rights campaigner Leslie Wolfson have praised NHS Lanarkshire staff for the care they gave him through his final illness.

Well-known lawyer Mr Wolfson was treated at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride before his death in January at the age of 86.

A member of the Wolfson family said: “The doctors, nursing staff and other professionals on ward 14 at Hairmyres deserve a very big thank you for taking such excellent care of Leslie during his last illness. The understanding of the staff was a very comforting experience for the family and we will be forever grateful to them all.”

Now a charitable trust set up by Mr Wolfson and his wife Alma has provided support for a new dementia care initiative at the hospital.

The Alma & Leslie Wolfson Charitable Trust, which has the advancement of health as one of its aims, funded a visit to Hairmyres this month (April) by a representative of John’s Campaign – a ground-breaking national initiative that ensures hospital patients who have dementia can have their loved-ones at their bedside at all times.

John’s Campaign has recently been introduced at Hairmyres.

Although Mr Wolfson did not have any form of dementia, his family chose to back John’s Campaign because it has an overall aim of improving care for older hospital patients. They decided to give financial support for the visit by John’s Campaign co-founder, Julia Jones, who travelled from her home in Essex.

Julia said: “My visit was made possible by the generosity of Mr Wolfson’s family and their charitable trust and I would like to take this opportunity to record my gratitude to them.

“It was a privilege to be at Hairmyres.

“Welcoming the families and carers of people with dementia and other frail and vulnerable patients is a key part of the wider agenda to promote person-centred care and it was inspiring to see how this is being incorporated across the whole hospital by the staff.”

She added that Hairmyres “could serve as a beacon to other hospitals across Scotland” along with Wishaw General Hospital, which has also introduced John’s Campaign.

Jane Wilson, senior nurse for care of the elderly at Hairmyres, said: “It was lovely to meet Julia and to introduce her to some of our staff so they could tell her how supporting the campaign has enriched the care they are delivering.

“It is also wonderful for the staff to hear how appreciative Mr Wolfson’s family were of the care and support he received at Hairmyres and we must thank them for helping with Julia’s visit.

“We recognise that the hospital environment can be unfamiliar and stressful for patients with dementia.

“Our pledge, through John’s Campaign, is to support families and carers to be with their relative at any time and stay with them for as long as is needed. The campaign supports the patient, relatives and staff to ensure continuity in our person-centred care.”

After founding Glasgow-based Leslie Wolfson Solicitors in 1955, Mr Wolfson became a successful businessman in real estate investment and beyond, providing him with the resources to become a human rights activist, philanthropist and arts enthusiast. His widow Alma is a well-known Scottish landscape artist.

Mr Wolfson was a leading figure in the International Bar Association, a trustee of the fundraising appeal for the renovation of Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, a trustee of the group completing the development of the Museum of Transport in Glasgow and a supporter of the charity Save a Child’s Heart, which showed how Jewish people, Arabs, Christians and Muslims could work together to provide life-saving surgery for thousands of children throughout the world.