Fed-up pensioner’s fatal A&E decision

A SHAW man who gashed his head in a fall at home bled to death hours after discharging himself from the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Brian McGuire’s body was discovered by his care worker a month after his 65th birthday, an inquest heard yesterday.

Several towels, his pillow and quilt were soaked with blood.

The previous evening, Mr McGuire had been taken to hospital by ambulance after falling and hitting his head on a TV cabinet at his home in Barnfield Rise.

The retired British Gas engineer and senior manager, who had worked around the world, discharged himself around an hour and 45 minutes later in June, last year. He had undergone two sets of neurological observations and his 1.6in wound had not been closed.

He telephoned daughter Ester Thurban, who lives in Kent, to say he had not been seen and “had enough of waiting.”

A post-mortem found that Mr McGuire died of blood loss exacerbated by developing cirrhosis which prevented his blood clotting normally.

Dr Nicholas Gili, who was not involved in his care, reviewed his treatment notes.

He explained that the wound could have started bleeding if the dressing had been removed. He admitted that the patients’ discharge form had not been fully completed. He would also have expected him to have undergone another neurological observation in the period before he left.

Coroner Simon Nelson recorded a verdict of accidental death. “I cannot be sure, but had he remained in accident and emergency, his untimely death may have been avoided,” he said.