BackA 62-year-old woman could have survived a severe infection called sepsis had she received proper care at a London-based hospital, an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has found.
The woman went into Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust suffering from abdominal pain and blood in her urine but following inconclusive tests was discharged. She went to hospital several more times because of her pain and was eventually admitted for exploratory surgery but before this could take place her condition worsened and she died.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Julie Mellor said:
"Our investigation found that because of a series of errors at a hospital a woman lost her life.
"Her husband told us that he has lost his best friend just before he and his wife were due to start a new life together.
"Our investigation found that staff had made errors in adequately assessing the woman's condition, treat her with appropriate antibiotics in enough time, or to take enough steps to control the clotting of her blood before surgery. Nor should it have discharged the woman after her admissions. The Trust's complaint handling was also poor.
"We hope our investigation and the action taken by the Trust will reassure him that lessons have been learnt as a result of his complaint so that others are less likely to suffer the same experience."
In a similar case another investigation carried out by the PHSO found that a Surrey-based hospital's failures reduced an elderly man's chances of survival from sepsis. The 77-year-old man was admitted to Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with several health problems. The investigation found that although he was managed appropriately once he was in the care of the medical team, the care he received during the initial period did not meet the expected standard. His condition was not recognised for more than two hours until he was seen by a doctor, who suspected he might have sepsis while antibiotics were not started until four hours after admission. This reduced his chances of recovery. The Trust agreed to pay his daughter £1,200 in compensation for the distress and to acknowledge and apologise to her for the failings and injustice caused and to identify what service improvements might be needed.
Julie Mellor added:
"Sepsis is a treatable condition, but too many people are dying unnecessarily from it because NHS services are failing to spot the warning signs.
"Our report, Time To Act, recommended a combined effort by the health sector was needed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis.
"This is now being taken forward by a range of health organisations including NHS England, NICE, and Public Health England after the Department of Health made announcements at the end of last year that have the potential to save thousands of lives each year."
Source: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, UNITED KINGDOM
