Heart attack minutes after hospital visit
A man collapsed just minutes after visiting a Christchurch hospital and complaining of chest pains. He died days later in intensive care.
His sister wants to know why he was allowed to leave the hospital just before having a heart attack, and hopes she will never hear of it happening to anyone else.
Craig Caddy, 54, was assessed at Burwood Hospital on May 12, and advised to take an ambulance to the city’s emergency department at Christchurch Hospital. He declined and attempted to drive himself, but collapsed just minutes later.
He underwent surgery, but had suffered brain damage and was put on life support. He died about 3.40am on May 16.
Debbie Henderson said her brother ‘‘must have been [in] in shocking pain’’ to go to hospital, because he was not the type to seek help.
‘‘All they needed was another couple of minutes and he would have collapsed in their care.’’
Auckland-born Caddy had been in Canterbury for about two years, but Henderson said he would not have known there was not an emergency department at Burwood.
He had a big funeral in Tauranga, where he lived for about 30 years. He had loved stock cars and his ute was driven up from Christchurch for a ‘‘big burnout’’ outside the funeral with Caddy on the back.
Henderson said it was a ‘‘fabulous send-off’’ that Caddy would have loved.
She made a complaint to the hospital about the way her brother was handled as she wanted to know why he was allowed to leave.
‘‘I just feel that everybody I speak to says something is not right about what happened at Burwood Hospital.’’
The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) said Caddy was found to have dry skin and a regular pulse when assessed for pain.
He was told to go to Christchurch Hospital’s emergency department or an afterhours clinic, and was advised not to drive himself as a heart-related cause for his pain had not been ruled out. He was considered capable of making his own decisions at the time.
Deidre, who did not want her surname used, said she came across Caddy’s ute stopped in front of Burwood Hospital and found him unresponsive inside.
The former nurse tried to get him out so she could administer help, but found him too large to move.
When more help arrived, Caddy was pulled from the ute and rescuers took turns administering CPR. Deidre said help from Burwood Hospital took seven minutes to arrive, ‘‘which seemed like seven hours’’.
She believed Caddy should not have been allowed to leave Burwood after he was assessed.
‘‘I don’t care if they’re not an emergency hospital. The thing is that they are medical.’’
CDHB chief medical officer Dr Sue Nightingale said the CDHB did not comment on individual cases, but those who went to Burwood Hospital expecting urgent medical care were ‘‘assessed and advised on where to go to receive the care they need’’.
‘‘If deemed appropriate an ambulance is called.’’
The CDHB had installed new road signs and put advertising in publications targeting older people to promote the fact there was no emergency care at Burwood Hospital, she said.