In January 2022, Raymond Gilroy, aged 81, was admitted to his local hospital with vascular issues before being transferred to a larger NHS Trust. Mr Gilroy was then placed under the care of the vascular team with a diagnosis of acute limb ischaemia of the left leg. Upon admission, it was documented that Raymond was not mobile and needed assistance with activities of daily living.
An adult Waterlow assessment was completed and Raymond was deemed as high risk for pressure damage. Despite this, there was no evidence of any special measures being put in place to prevent pressure damage from occurring. A daily repositioning chart was commenced, but there was no record that Raymond was nursed on alternate sides.
Over a short period of time Raymond was found to have blanching erythema on his sacrum and subsequently blanching erythema on his buttocks as well as a moisture lesion on his sacrum. Complaining of pain, on examination it was later found that Raymond had a grade 2 pressure ulcer as well as moisture damage.
Raymond was seen by the Tissue Viability Nurse (TVN) and the pressure ulcer was graded as a category 2. Instructions were given for it to be managed at ward level. Unfortunately, Raymond’s clinical condition deteriorated, and he was diagnosed with sepsis and transferred to Critical Care for treatment. Raymond would later be discharged from critical care.
It was only disclosed to Raymond’s family that he had a pressure ulcer over a week later. Mr Gilroy’s daughters both work in healthcare and were keen to establish how their father developed sores whilst in hospital.
Commenting, Raymond’s daughter said: “It became clear, very quickly, that there had been a catalogue of errors. Whilst I was visiting my dad there was only ever one pillow under his head, there were no other pillows present in his room to help with pressure relief. Despite me raising this with them, I was told he was getting regular pressure relief.
“At the time, my mum had terminal lung cancer and so visiting my dad in hospital was challenging, especially when there were also still restrictions in place around visiting patients. We were growing increasingly concerned about the care he was receiving, and we were getting very mixed messages about the state of his health.”
Eventually, Raymond was transferred back to his local hospital, though his family were not initially informed of this. Once back in their care, doctors found that Raymond had no prescribed medications and that his pressure ulcer was now a more serious category 3.
Raymond was now living in considerable pain which was incredibly distressing for him, his wife and his family. Raymond’s pressure ulcer later developed into the most serious category, grade 4, with his medical team suspecting he may also have osteomyelitis, an infection of the bone and pneumonia. Sadly, on April 28th 2022, Raymond passed away.
“Once my dad passed away we knew we wanted answers. We instructed Stephensons to act on our behalf and initially I didn’t want to meet his medical team, however eventually I agreed as everything I had received in writing just seemed to be lie after lie.
“When I did meet, I wore my care uniform, and then suddenly their faces dropped. They weren’t expecting me to know this area of care so well. Once we had those conversations it was clear to me that they had failed to provide an acceptable level of care – there was no pressure relief, no wound care plan, nothing. It was a catalogue of different errors.
“My dad died in agony. He should have been able to have a dignified death, but that was taken away from him. I was angry. My mother had to sit there and watch her husband die, in horrific circumstances, whilst she too was battling for her life. It wasn’t one person responsible for those failings, it was multiple people, and it was important for me to take action.
“With Stephensons by our side there was no stress or added pressure. As soon as we had any response from the other side it would be emailed across, and they were always there for support and advice.
“When we came to settle the case, I had done some internet research about previous settlements for similar negligence cases so I had an idea about what those figures should be. Working with Stephensons we able to achieve a good level of compensation for my dad and what he went through.”
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to the negligence of a medical or health professional, then we may be able to help you pursue a claim. Our leading team of experts are on hand to offer advice, so please get in touch with us on 0161 696 6165 or complete our online enquiry form and we will contact you directly.