Family Call For Lessons To Be Learned After Hospital Pressure Sore Death
26/05/2011
The family of a man who died in excruciating pain after his pressure sores became badly infected have demanded that a Berkshire hospital learns lessons from the tragedy, after an inquest highlighted significant gaps in knowledge amongst nursing staff.
Mervyn Elkington, 64, from Newbury in Berkshire, died at The Royal Berkshire Hospital in June 2009 from a septic shock, caused by infected pressure sores.
Mr Elkington was originally admitted to hospital in March 2009 suffering from chronic renal failure but the grandfather of five’s health continued to deteriorate as he suffered from painful and infected pressure sores. He spent months in agony before medical staff finally realised the extent of the problem and attempted surgery to remove rotten flesh caused by infected pressure sores. Tragically, the delay meant that Mervyn’s body was in such distress that he went into septic shock and tragically died on 19 June 2009.
Mr Elkington’s daughter, Louise Norton, who works as a district nurse, claims that her father suffered ’unnecessarily’ and ‘horrifically’ shortly before he passed away and her comments echo an NHS Serious Untoward Incident Report in October 2009 which highlighted staff shortages and equipment failures.
Coroner Peter Bedford last week (Wednesday 18 May) recorded a narrative verdict into the death of Mr Elkington, at Reading Coroner’s Court. He said that staff missed opportunities to treat Mervyn’s wounds properly and alleviate his suffering in the three months prior to his death when he was left writhing in agony.
The inquest also highlighted a series of missed opportunities to treat the source of Mervyn’s pressure sore infection. These included:
- delays in arranging MRI scans and appropriate surgery to treat the infection
- a lack of familiarity among nursing staff on how to operate electronic beds and mattresses designed to keep patients mobile and alleviate the risk of pressure sores becoming infected
- a lack of knowledge in treating the condition and poor record keeping
Medical law expert Peter Cutler from Irwin Mitchell, who is now representing the family in their battle for justice, said: “Although I welcome the changes the Trust has implemented since Mervyn’s death - following a thorough investigation they have reduced pressure sore occurrence across the Trust by 50 per cent by implementing new procedures - the treatment Mervyn received during his time in hospital was poor.
“The family now want assurances that lessons this Trust has learned will be shared nationwide to prevent the future, needless suffering of any other patients.”
He continues: “Though he was a very ill man when he was admitted to hospital, the inquest into Mervyn’s death has revealed a series of severe failings that led to him suffering extreme pain for months leading up to his death.”
Commenting on her family’s tragic loss, Mervyn’s daughter Louise said: “My father was a loving, caring man and we miss him every day. Towards the end of his life he was extremely unwell and put his health in the hands of medical staff, trusting them to do everything possible to help him and make sure he was comfortable. But instead he died in excruciating pain. To know that more could, and should have been done to prevent his suffering is simply unbearable.
Louise continued: “It is too late for my father. He died in such unnecessary pain and it was horrific to watch. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody so if by speaking out we can, somehow, force change I will feel that in some small way justice has been done.”
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