‘Mum’s prolonged death after she was denied a routine op’
PAULA Williams was a vivacious lady “full of energy and vigour” who enjoyed doing The Times crossword puzzle every day and loved spending time with her family.
That’s how Paula’s daughter, Giulia Baker, describes her late mother.
Agile and spirited in both body and mind, it came as a shock to Giulia and her family when her mum was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that causes a fast and fluttering heart rhythm, and severe mitral regurgitation – where blood flows backwards into your heart – in July, 2018.
Sadly, despite doctors and surgeons advising that Paula should have a heart operation – and repeated requests from the family for her to have the surgery – it never took place and she sadly died in October, 2019.
Her family believe her death could have been avoided, whilst an independent review of the matters which led to her passing has found shortcomings and issues with her care in Swansea hospitals.
Swansea Bay University Health Board has admitted the care offered to Paula ‘fell well short of expected levels of care’ and said it was implementing the recommendations of the report.
Giulia is now speaking out to urge other people with family members in hospital to fight to ensure their loved ones receive the care and attention they need, before it’s too late.
Giulia said: “In 2018 my mum was diagnosed with a heart valve that needed repair and was referred to a consultant at Singleton Hospital.
“[The consultant] told my mum that her heart valve needed repair and that without this treatment she would die. He referred my mum on to a heart surgeon at Morriston Hospital. [The surgeon] outlined the operation my mum would need – which was fairly routine – and agreed with [the consultant] concluding this was a routine – but requisite – operation.”
She claimed: “Having informed my mum that she would die if not treated, Swansea Bay University Health Board then spent the next 10 months refusing to treat her, despite her worsening symptoms and multiple requests for support and intervention. As a family we brought matters to the attention of the health board on multiple occasions but they refused to act.
“We watched my mum die an unnecessary, prolonged and painful death while the hospital repeatedly refused to give her the treatment that they themselves told her she needed to survive.”
Before being diagnosed with a heart condition, Paula, 82, was active and could often be found outside in the garden of her home in Mumbles “hacking down tree stumps or dragging laden garden bags across the lawn”.
Giulia said she and her family regularly contacted doctors and Swansea Bay UHB, urging them to act and give Paula the operation she needed. But their pleas were met with refusal, she said.
The independent medical report into Paula’s care was carried out by Neil Roberts, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, on instruction from Swansea Bay UHB. Dated May 20, 2020, it outlines that delays to Paula’s treatment were “unnecessary”.
Mr Roberts writes: “The course through the cardiology outpatient diagnostics was very long. The investigations were ordered one after another, with the result of one test awaited before the next was ordered, even though it was written clearly in the notes in July that both a TOE [transoesophageal echocardiogram procedure] and an angiogram would be needed.
“This method of work may be a protocol in the Swansea area, to order tests in series rather than in parallel, but the delays were considerable and, in my opinion, unnecessary (...) If there is a ‘standard’ approach of ordering tests in a serial fashion, one after the other, and waiting for the report of one test before ordering the next, and then waiting again before referring for surgery takes place, then there must be many more patients experiencing such long waits before referral for cardiac surgery when an indication already exists. The health board may want to investigate this.”
Additionally, Mr Roberts commented that Paula’s family’s correspondence to hospital staff, and their concerns for her declining health, were often rebuffed.
He also noted that Swansea Bay UHB misplaced Paula’s medical records and could not locate them for 68 days, causing delay to her initial consultations, and there was also a further 125-day delay in her treatment.
The report adds: “It appears from the concerns correspondence bundle that Mrs Williams’ family went back and forth between the GP and cardiology asking for a review as they could see Mrs Williams was deteriorating, but their concerns were not acted upon.”
Ultimately, the report outlines that had action been taken, Paula’s health would not have deteriorated – and she was likely to still be alive.
While it’s sadly too late to save Paula, Giulia hopes other people with loved ones in hospital recognise the importance of continuing to campaign and push for their loved ones to get treatment – and surgery, if required – in a timely manner.
Following the publication of the report into Paula’s passing, Giulia met with representatives from Swansea Bay UHB, who advised they would be introducing an “action plan” and bringing measures in place to ensure the issues and delays that affected her mother’s care would not happen to any further patients.
A spokesperson for Swansea Bay UHB said: “We sincerely apologise for the delays and shortcomings in the care we provided to the late Mrs Williams, and the deep distress this has caused her family. The care fell well short of expected levels of care, and we are committed to do all we can to reduce the risk of this happening again.
“We accepted the findings of the report and are implementing its recommendations. We resolved the family’s legal claim as quickly as possible and that has now been settled.
“However, we are happy to meet with Ms Baker again if she has further queries about her mother’s care.”