Why are so many NHS patients dying from thirst and starvation?
Shocking statistics have shown that nearly three patients a day die from malnutrition, dehydration or choking on NHS hospital wards. Closer investigates…
Lying in a hospital bed, Kane Gorny, 22, was desperate for water. Ignored by medical staff, he called the police and begged for a drink. Tragically, the aspiring footballer later died from dehydration.
Kane’s story is heartbreaking, but it’s not unique. A total of 936 patients had malnutrition, dehydration or choking listed as a main or contributing factor on their death certificate last year. Among them were 74 cases where a lack of food was the primary cause – a 34 per cent increase since 2015.
Kane’s mum, Rita Cronin, 59, from south London, is still coming to terms with the treatment her son received.
IGNORED
She says, “Kane went into St George’s Hospital, Tooting, for a hip replacement. He was taking medication for diabetes insipidus, a condition that meant his body was unable to regulate fluid. But nurses forgot to give him his tablets and he became severely dehydrated. He begged for water, but staff just thought he was being difficult. When he was given something to drink, the jug was placed too far away for him to reach. By the time I got to hospital and gave him a drink of Ribena, it was too late. His death was completely avoidable.”
But the problem is more complex than staff not carrying out their duties correctly. The NHS has among the lowest numbers of doctors, nurses and hospital beds per person in the Western world, with an average of just 2.8 doctors per 1,000 people, compared to Austria, where there are 5.1. NHS vacancies are at an all-time high, and pay for doctors has fallen by over 10 per cent since 2010.
IN CRISIS
John Kell, Head of Policy at the Patients Association, says, “The current pressures on hospitals are partly as a result of serious failures by successive governments. We have known for a long time that our ageing population would mean more older people with complex conditions. The opportunity to redesign the NHS to anticipate this change was missed years ago.
“Unfortunately, the funding from the Government is not enough to achieve a major transformation. It doesn’t solve the social care crisis, provide any new funding for infrastructure, workforce or public health, or provide any meaningful strategy to co- ordinate all the areas of government policy that have a bearing on people’s health.”
The situation is now at a point where family members must be relied upon to provide basic care for patients. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical director of Patient.info, who has 32 years’ experience in the NHS, says, “We can no longer
assume that doctors and nurses can do everything. You can help loved ones in hospital by being there at meal times, if allowed, ensuring that food is actually eaten and water is within reach. Urinary infections can hinder a patient’s recovery, so take them to the toilet, too. Don’t attempt to do anything medical, but if you have concerns about your friend or relative’s condition, find out when the ward rounds are, so you’ll be there when a doctor is present. Be persistent, but polite – most doctors and nurses will be trying their best.”
Rita, who works at a will drafting company, had been confident that her son was in safe hands when she took him to hospital for a hip replacement in May 2009.
She says, “I told the nurses about his diabetes insipidus – they wrote it down in his notes and assured me they would give him his medication.
“The operation went well, but the next day, I was at work when Kane called me in a panic.
“He said he was thirsty but that the nurses wouldn’t give him any water. He was beside himself, and I could hear him shouting at the staff.
“It was so unlike Kane to be so aggressive, so I raced straight to the hospital.
“As soon as I arrived, a nurse took me to one side and said Kane had been causing a nuisance, and had even called the police, complaining that he was thirsty. The staff had sent the police away, but I knew they were furious at Kane.
“I was so embarrassed, so when the nurse said they’d sedated him and put him in a side room, I was relieved. I stayed with him for the rest of the day but, because they’d knocked him out, he couldn’t complain about being thirsty any more, and I had no idea he was dehydrated.”
The following day, Kane’s condition had worsened.
Rita explains, “When I saw Kane, his lips and tongue were swollen. It dawned on me that he’d been left alone in that room all night. He hadn’t been given his medication to regulate his fluids and so was severely dehydrated. I started to cry and managed to get a doctor to see Kane. He took one look at him and started shouting for assistance.
RIPPED APART
“A few hours later, a doctor told me that Kane wasn’t going to make it. It felt like my world had been ripped apart.”
A post-mortem examination found dehydration caused high sodium levels, which led to Kane’s death. The deputy coroner, Dr Radcliffe, who recorded a narrative verdict at Westminster Coroners’ Court, said that Kane had been “undoubtedly let down.”
Rita says, “Losing Kane is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me – but what makes it even harder is that it’s 10 years on and more patients than ever are dying from dehydration and malnutrition.
“There’s no escaping that some of the people who cared for Kane were negligent. I know that we’re lucky to have the NHS, but something needs to be done. I don’t want any more families to suffer a loss like we did.”
❛ WE CAN NO LONGER ASSUME THAT DOCTORS AND NURSES CAN DO EVERYTHING ❜