Mum’s death sparks hospital complaint

A FAMILY is to make an official complaint about standards of care at the Royal Oldham Hospital after their mother died on a discharge ward.

Proud grandmother-of-three Mary McBride (78) — who had previously beaten bowel cancer — died of a brain injury two days after a seemingly minor fall on the ward.

An inquest heard yesterday that the ward did not have regular day-to-day doctors’ cover and there was no record that nurses had filled in a neurological assessment form as would be expected after a fall.

Retired home help Mrs McBride, of D’Oliveira Court, Middleton, was described as a confident, bubbly, friendly person who loved a party.

She spent 101 days at the Royal Oldham under the care of seven different consultants, after burning the tip of her finger changing a bulb.

This did not heal properly because of a rare condition and was amputated after Christmas, 2007.

What followed was described as a rollercoaster three months in the hospital when family were concerned about her care.

Mrs McBride, who had cared for her late husband following a stroke, was moved to the discharge ward at the end of March, 2008, where she had the fall. She deteriorated and a post mortem found that she died of a subdural haematoma.

Pathologist Dr Alan Padwell confirmed that a minor trauma, even when the head was not hit, could cause this type of haemorrhage in an elderly person.

He agreed to acknowledge the presence of a previous, chronic bleed to the brain in his verdict after the hospital took the unusual step of ordering a second post mortem because the injury had not been suspected.

He did not know if this would have predisposed her to a second injury but stated: “It was the recent one that caused her death.”

Consultant physician Dr Venkat Sridharan, who asked for the second examination, cared for Mrs McBride before she was transferred to the discharge ward while he was on holiday.

He told the inquest that he did not believe that the neurological observation form had been completed.

Coroner Simon Nelson said: “This is, I think, an omission that would not have had direct adverse consequences.

“But there are occasions when there are such consequences and where I wouldn’t hesitate to bring in a verdict of negligence.”

He had previously raised concerns about the way that trips were prevented and dealt with, but said a new policy had been introduced since Mrs McBride’s death. He recorded a verdict that, against a background of general frailty of health, Mrs McBride died of an acute or chronic subdural haematoma.

Mrs McBride’s three daughters told the Oldham Chronicle that they would be making an official complaint about their mother’s care at the hospital.

Their concerns include that she had not been well enough to be moved to the discharge ward and was wrongly given solid food.

They are also angry that their mother was left to die alone after her family were sent home.

Daughter Linda Monro said: “When we weren’t there, she wasn’t in a safe environment.”

Her sister Gaynor Otway added: “There was a catalogue of events. There was no continuity of care.”