Tragic Arnold was betrayed by system
Reporter: Richard Hooton
Date published: 14 June 2010
GRIEVING family . . . Arnold’s sisters Joan, left and Ann, with Joan’s husband Neil
A CORONER ruled systematic failings at the Royal Oldham Hospital contributed to the death of a Failsworth man.
Staff failed to treat Arnold Siddall for a fractured skull because they thought he was drunk.
They missed two opportunities to save the popular 47-year-old’s life — first allowing him to leave without seeing a doctor and later leaving him outside because they thought he was being disruptive.
And security guards watched him wander the hospital grounds, repeatedly keel over and be sick over a 15-hour period after he was first admitted, before he suffered a fit after falling gravely ill and died two days later.
After a five-day inquest at Oldham County Court, Oldham Coroner Simon Nelson gave a narrative verdict in which he said the death could have been averted had he received appropriate care.
He blamed “systematic failings” and that his deteriorating condition in the hospital grounds was neither recognised or treated.
The Pennine Acute Trust, which runs the hospital, apologised to the family and paid compensation in an out-of-court settlement before the inquest began. Divisional director for medicine, Steve Taylor, and security guard Michelle Walker, apologised publicly for the shortcomings during proceedings.
The Trust has improved more than 15 procedures related to the way patients suspected of being drunk are treated.
Mr Siddall’s family said they had been through hell for nearly three years with their lives on hold.
Sister Joan Makin said: “If he had been treated properly he would still be alive. The security guards were watching him die.”
Sister Ann Siddall added: “I hate to think what pain he was in.”
Brother-in-law Neil Makin said: “It’s a good thing to bring a new system in but the system is only as good as the staff.
“Security guards watched for 14 hours and admitted that he was getting worse. You would be sober after several hours.
“It beggars belief it could happen in this day and age.”
The family said the inquest was thorough, and had answered many questions.
Mr Siddall cracked his head after being pushed to the ground following an argument outside the Lock pub, Oldham Road, next door to where he lived, on September 22, 2007.
Paul Parry (25), of Assheton Road, Newton Heath was cleared of manslaughter by a jury in 2008. After his trial Judge Mr Justice Openshaw condemned the actions of the hospital and in a rare move wrote to the Health Trust and the coroner asking them to launch a thorough investigation.
Top neurosurgery expert Prof John Pickard said a CT scan should have been issued as a matter of course and Mr Siddall could have survived if treated earlier, albeit with mental impairment. A forensic scientist said no alcohol was found in Mr Siddall’s blood.
In his summing up, Mr Nelson said when Mr Siddall was initially admitted there was no effective system in place to ensure patient information was provided to the triage nurse.
“It was a missed opportunity. On the second occasion he had been effectively abandoned outside. At no stage was Mr Siddall abusive or violent, to justify his removal.”
New procedures in place
Dr Ruth Jameson, the trust’s medical director, said following Mr Siddall’s “very sad and tragic” death, there had been an immediate independent review of the management of patients who attend accident and emergency with head injury and/or intoxication with alcohol.
She said changes included the introduction of red patient head injury wrist bands, and a formal system for the handover of patient report forms between paramedics and nursing staff.
Apologising to the family, she highlighted the coroner’s comment that such cases were “very, very rare,” and said accident and emergency staff faced a challenging job, often under difficult situations, in dealing with patients who have consumed alcohol, and said staff had no power to stop patients leaving.
