Nurse who gave her life to the NHS died after weeks of agony as care was botched
Dedicated nurse Jeanette Bailey with daughter Gemma and husband Craig A NURSE who dedicated 35 years to the NHS endured weeks of agony because of botched medical treatment before she died of a weak heart, an inquest has heard.
At one point antibiotics she desperately needed were delayed because doctors said they had to treat 40 other patients first, the hearing was told.
Jeanette Bailey, 53, worked as a highly-regarded theatre sister looking after young mothers at a maternity unit.
The inquest heard that after complaining of heart problems, the mother-of-three was admitted to Manchester Royal Infirmary and given an accidental overdose of bloodthinning medication Dalteparin.
She developed blood poisoning and died five weeks later, the hearing was told. Coroner for Manchester Jean Harkin said that nothing could have prevented Mrs Bailey’s death but she had been subjected to unnecessary “pain and suffering”.
After the hearing this week Mrs Bailey’s family condemned staff at the hospital for the way they cared for her.
Her daughter Gemma Lawlor said: “I am not satisfied with the hospital’s apologies because they made her suffer.
“She gave her life to the NHS and to helping people who were ill but there was a lack of care and monitoring when she became ill.”
Miss Lawlor earlier told the hearing: “As she got older she was told she had problems and mild angina. That then became severe but she was told she was not fit enough to undergo an operation. The condition worsened and she became short of breath and had chest pain and whilst she was in hospital she developed sepsis.
“She wasn’t given any antibiotics straight away. They said there were 40 more patients they had to see before my mum.
“Whilst in intensive care we were informed she had been given too much blood-thinning medication.”
Mrs Bailey, from Dukinfield, Manchester, remained in hospital but deteriorated and died despite surgery on February 18 last year.
Pharmacist for critical care Tony Dunne told the hearing: “An investigation undertaken following Jeanette’s death revealed the issue was not how much of the drug she was given but the lack of monitoring and we are implementing a tighter monitoring protocol.”
Recording a narrative conclusion, the coroner said: “Jeanette Bailey had very severe heart disease for a number of years and died from the heart disease following cardiac surgery.”
But she added: “It is clear there was a system breakdown in the hospital in relation to monitoring which caused her pain and suffering.
“Apologies have been made in open court but that does not bring Gemma’s mother back.”
Mrs Bailey, who had two grandchildren, joined the nursing profession at 18.
Her daughter loved my mum.
“She was a special person – a humble, genuine woman who appreciated life and lived hers to the full.” added: “Everyone