BRIAN SENT HOME TO DIE WITH GAVISCON
nhS hOSPItAL tRAGEDY PROBED
Hours after chest pains visit, grandad is killed by suspected heart attack
A GRANDAD died of a suspected heart attack less than 24 hours after hospital doctors sent him home with Gaviscon.
Brian Gibb, 69, who was suffering from chest
accident and emergency department downgraded to a minor injury unit.
The nearest A&E is at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary – 75 miles away.
Local councillor Willie Scobie said: “The hospital needs to find out what has gone wrong in this case.
“Were there sufficient doctors to deal with everything?
“We need to know that Galloway Community Hospital is fit for purpose. We have dedicated staff, but it appears Dumfries and Galloway Health Board and the Scottish Government are not providing sufficient doctors.
“When you get to hospital you expect to find doctors capable of treating you. In Stranraer, you don’t know what you’re getting.”
Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: “This is yet another tragic case within the NHS where a family believe they were failed.
“There is a pattern of closures, downgrades and cuts across the NHS in Scotland directly related to staff shortages. “That’s simply not good enough.” Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said: “This is an extremely tragic story and a situation that could have been easily avoided.
“The fact they were unable to provide services in extremely important wards reveals the true extent of troubles in the NHS and Galloway Community Hospital.”
Robison said: “I am very sorry to hear about the death of Mr Gibb and would like to extend my condolences to his family. “I have urgently requested a full report on this incident.
“I have been clear with NHS Dumfries & Galloway that they should be working with Mr Gibb’s family to fully investigate the circumstances.”
NHS Dumfries and Galloway said: “Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on the medical details of individual patients. However, we can confirm that the hospital manager has been in contact with the family to express our deepest sympathies for their loss.
“A full review is being undertaken of the patient’s treatment. The outcome will be shared openly with the family.”
The board admitted they were still struggling with staff shortages.
They said: “Challenges remain in securing sufficient medical cover on an ongoing basis. We continue with our endeavours to recruit to the area.
“However, we would highlight that currently all services are operating normally.”
There is a pattern of NHS closures, downgrades and cuts directly related to staff shortages ANAS SARWAR
Brian Gibb was sent home from hospital with a bottle of Gaviscon after complaining of chest pains. Just 24 hours later, he was dead. The full post-mortem results are not in yet but it is likely the 69-year-old grandad died of a heart attack.
The case raises questions not only about this particular incident but the robustness of the health service as a whole.
The ward which treats stroke and heart attack patients at Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer was closed at the time of Brian’s visit because of staffing problems.
Other shortages have resulted in the A&E department being downgraded to a minor injury unit.
There are now questions about why Brian did not get a blood test that could have detected he had sufferered a heart attack.
Medical experts including BMA Scotland have long warned that the system is at breaking point.
It’s understandable that Brian’s distraught widow, Margaret, fears her husband was the victim of a cut too far.
So it is welcome that Health Secretary Shona Robison has commissioned a report on the case and ensured that the local health board are taking the matter seriously.
If subsequent investigations suggest Brian’s death could have been avoided, it will require much more than warm words.
It will be time for a radical overhaul.