‘Failings in care’ of frail ex-nurse, 82, who died
A HEALTH service director has acknowledged failings in the care of a retired nurse who spent the final weeks of her life in hospital.
Betty Harrison, 82, died from pneumonia following prolonged treatment at Dewsbury and District Hospital and Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, for numerous health conditions.
An inquest into her death heard evidence of ‘sub-standard’ care, including poor communication with her family along with the failure of nursing staff to provide pain relief prior to ulcer dressings being changed.
Record keeping had been inadequate, which was blamed on staffing issues, and Mrs Harrison hadn’t had the ‘continuity of care’ by staff that hospital patients should expect to receive, the inquest was told.
Mrs Harrison, from Cleckheaton, was not provided with all aspects of a care plan that had been recommended to reduce the risk of ulcers.
During her stay in hospital, she developed further pressure ulcers which the coroner, Mary Burke, said were likely as a result of a care plan not being consistently implemented.
David Melia, director of Nursing and Quality at The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The Trust would like to offer its condolences once again to Betty’s family for their loss.
“The Trust is very grateful to Betty’s family for the fact that they raised concerns about aspects of her nursing care while she was an inpatient from June to August 2017, which the Trust has always acknowledged was not consistently provided to the high level the Trust strives to achieve and that Betty was entitled to expect.
“A number of significant changes have been made that have improved the quality and safety of the nursing care provided to all patients.
“The Trust notes the Coroner’s conclusions, reached after a thorough inquiry and inquest, and while the issues identified in relation to the nursing care were not directly causative of Betty’s death, the evidence presented by the Trust did acknowledge the shortcomings and set out the changes made in response.”
The three-day inquest heard Mrs Harrison had become increasingly frail during her hospital admission.
The coroner concluded: “It is unlikely from the position of hindsight that any further medical intervention would have reversed this decline.
“Betty’s advancing frailty, as well as a number of medical conditions, placed her at risk of developing pneumonia, which sadly did occur and was the direct cause of her death on August 18, 2017.”
The coroner concluded that Mrs Harrison had died from natural causes.