Nurse resigns from own hospital over death of husband
ANURSE quit her job after “missed opportunities” to save her husband’s life at the hospital she worked at.
Annette Maley, from Chelmsley Wood, said she could not face going back to her job as a staff nurse at Heartlands Hospital, where she worked for more than 15 years, after the death of her partner.
She claims she warned his deteriorating condition could cost him his life.
Her husband, Anthony, 61, lost three stone in as many months, began vomiting, suffered severe abdominal pain and could barely walk in the end, his widow said. As she predicted, her husband died, leaving behind three sons and two grandsons.
Mrs Maley said he had peritonitis and multiple organ failure caused by mesenteric ischaemia, an injury to the small intestine.
Mrs Maley said: “I couldn’t go back, I couldn’t face it. I’ve had to give up my profession.
“It was so traumatic because I had so much knowledge and I pleaded so much and agonised over it.”
Her husband had been back and forth to doctors’ appointments with abdominal pain for 12 months ahead of his death on March 28, last year.
He was referred to Heartlands Hospital after a GP visit in November 2018, but Mrs Maley claimed he never received an appointment, despite multiple calls. “I had to Google my husband’s symptoms and research it as much as I could to try and find an answer,” she said.
His condition worsened and he was admitted to Solihull Hospital in February but discharged on March 1, she said. Mrs Maley then took him to
Heartlands Hospital A&E admitted after suffering abdominal pain, on March 4.
Mrs Maley said: “I cried to the doctors in A&E, I told them my husband was really poorly and that he needed to stay in. He was going to be kept in, I left him in A&E, then the medical doctor came down and discharged him.
“I went to ambulatory emergency care the next day, I cried again. I told them they needed to chase the vascular appointment, and they didn’t.
“I desperately pleaded with the vascular specialist, I told them my husband had lost two-and-a-half to three stone in the last three months, he’s vomiting he has severe pain, he’s got chronic mesenteric ischaemia. “I told them time was of the essence, he’ll become acute and a medical emergency and I predicted my own husband’s outcome – I practically wrote his death certificate.” to be severe
Mr Maley was admitted to hospital on March 7, but his widow claims warning signs were not acted upon quickly enough. He collapsed on March 18, was sent to intensive care, had four bowel surgeries and lost his battle. His cause of death was recorded as mesenteric ischaemia and an extensive aortic thrombosis.
“I felt like I stated in my emails to the hospital what he was going to die of but no one would listen to me,” Mrs Maley said.
A University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: “The Trust extends its sympathies to Mrs Maley on the sad loss of her husband Anthony.
“We appreciate that we cannot always resolve concerns to the satisfaction of patients and their families and in these situations would advise them to contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman for an independent assessment of their complaints.”