A FAMILY from Rhyl has received an apology from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) after it admitted failings in the care of their relative prior to her death at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.
Margaret Anson died of sepsis at the Bodelwyddan hospital aged 73 on June 13, 2022.
But after her family raised concerns that she was incorrectly transferred to Denbigh Community Hospital on June 3, and that communication with her relatives was poor, BCUHB has since admitted these mistakes and apologised.
An internal investigation by BCUHB led to an acceptance that a “clear breach of duty” had been committed in the case of Mrs Anson.
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Her daughter, Vanessa Jones, has a meeting arranged with BCUHB representatives on January 25, having said she does not accept the apology.
She said: “I’ve never known such poor hospital care in my entire life. Nobody told us anything; what they did was wrong.
“Five days were wasted by sending her to Denbigh. No-one also told the family that she was basically on end-of-life care.
“Those three days of her life should have been spent with family around her in a comfortable setting, with no pain; just peace.
“It is hard to accept that she contracted sepsis due to neglect, but then to not tell us is appalling and absolutely unacceptable.
“My mum’s death will not be nothing. This is not going away. ‘Sorry’ is not enough. Our family is torn apart and destroyed. It has blown us all apart.”
Mrs Anson initially attended Glan Clwyd’s emergency department (ED) on the evening of April 27, suffering from a skin rash and blisters, before self-discharging the following day.
She returned to the ED on May 1, and was admitted to an acute medical unit the day after, but self-discharging again on the same date.
On May 12, she attended the ED again after a fall at home, which caused her to suffer a deep cut to her leg.
Mrs Anson was transferred to a different ward on May 14; the initial impression being that she was suffering from sepsis.
She then suffered two falls between that day and June 3, when she was transferred to Denbigh Community Hospital, a decision which BCUHB has, in hindsight, admitted was incorrect.
Indeed, medical notes logged prior to her transfer stated that she would not be suitable for community hospital treatment due to her severe pain and lack of clear medical plan.
Mrs Anson returned to Glan Clwyd on June 8, and received palliative care before her death on June 13.
In BCUHB’s report published regarding Mrs Anson’s care, it admitted that the ward she was placed on was inappropriate, as this is a respiratory ward and her symptoms were primarily surgical and vascular.
BCUHB also accepted that there was “significant miscommunication” between staff and Mrs Anson’s family, in particular relating to her ward moves and the purpose of palliative care.
Her transfer to Denbigh, meanwhile, was labelled a “clear breach of duty, which we truly regret”.
Mrs Anson’s death was not reported to the coroner as there was said to be no evidence of incorrect or delayed diagnosis or treatment, or uncertainty about her death.
The report has been shared with the relevant members of staff, while the use of daily communication logs continues to be encouraged.
“No-one told us on June 10 that mum was end-of-life care,” Mrs Jones added.
“Otherwise, we might have had a chance to say goodbye to her. The negligence my mum received was appalling, and the public need to be made aware.
“She was an active, happy, 73-year old lady, who enjoyed doing gardening, knitting, sightseeing, and drinking tea with the family.
“She was polite, and the kindest lady you could ever meet.”
Nick Lyons, executive medical director at BCUHB, added: “We have carried out a review of the care Mrs Anson received and found there were failings in some of the care provided and communication with the family.
“We sincerely apologise for this and have invited Mrs Jones to meet with us to discuss her mother’s care in more detail.
“We would like to thank Mrs Jones for raising her concerns as it is extremely important we learn from the experiences of patients and their relatives.”
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