More families ready to sue over hospital care

1:50pm Tuesday 20th December 2011 in News

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MORE angry families are expected to take legal action against hospital bosses over the “abominable care” of their loved ones.

former nurse Eileen White says her family was devastated by the poor standard of care her husband Colin received before his death from liver failure aged 73 at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch on October 19, 2009.

now her family wants to join the class action being taken against Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust which already involves at least 23 families and widows of patients.

The case has been taken on by law firm Leigh Day & Co and the company intends to argue that care was so bad it breached the human rights of families.

however, Worcester MP Robin Walker defended the trust and said improvements had been made since the damning report by health and social care watchdog the Care Quality Commission was published in May.

The report raised “major concerns” about hydration and nutrition on wards five and 11 at the Alex, which was one of only two hospitals nationwide where such serious problems were identified.

Mrs White, aged 73, of Aldridge, said: “We were told steps were taken to make sure this didn’t happen again but nothing changed.

“The care my husband received was abominable.

“They kept saying he wouldn’t eat.

“Although he was a desperately ill man, he wasn’t an idiot.

“He said they just ram it in your mouth.

“My son’s last words to the nurses were ‘Get my father off this ward’.

“It’s bad enough to lose a parent or partner or husband but worse to know they’re dying without the care they deserve.

“I used to be a ward manager and I would have been ashamed if I had been the sister on that ward.”

his daughter, Kim White, 49, of Tewkesbury, who works in Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre in Beckford, near Tewkesbury, said: “The animals here are treated with more care and dignity than my dad was. We want to join this class action.”

Mr Walker said: “I think any accusations of poor treatment have to be taken very seriously but I do think that, from what I have seen, the acute trust has reacted quite quickly and very seriously to the problems that were identified at the Alexandra Hospital.

“Certainly, an enormous amount of effort has been put in to make sure those mistakes are not repeated and patients get better care in future.

“It’s always a shame when people have to resort to legal action.

“If there are costs to the NHS that doesn’t help the vast majority of people who use its services.”

Helen Blanchard, director of nursing and midwifery, said: “We actively encourage patient feedback and where there is any indication that patient care falls below the high standards we expect all our staff to deliver, we will take immediate action to address this.”

six wards under lockdown

SIX wards at the Alexandra Hospital remain under lockdown because of a violent winter diarrhoea and vomiting bug.

The Redditch hospital has been forced to close all or part of at least six wards because of the highly contagious norovirus outbreaks.

No cases have yet been reported at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester which is also managed by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

The most recent figures published by the Health Protection Agency show there were five suspected or confirmed outbreaks of norovirus in Worcestershire in the two weeks up to December 11.

each outbreak could potentially contain a number of individuals who have contracted the bug so many more people are likely to be affected than the number of outbreaks recorded. The outbreaks are not just at the Alexandra but across the community and could be in schools and care homes.

Rebecca Bourne, head of communications at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said the number of beds affected by the closures was changing all the time.

“We are grateful to members of the public who have heeded advice to avoid coming to the hospital if they have experienced any vomiting or diarrhoea symptoms in the last 48 hours,” she said.

The trust’s website asks people to only visit the hospital if absolutely necessary. Visitors suffering symptoms such as diarrhoea and/or vomiting should stay at home and seek advice from their GP or NHS Direct.

45 swine flu cases at Worcestershire hospitals

8:20am Friday 31st December 2010

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THERE have been 45 confirmed swine flu cases seen at Worcestershire hospitals since December 9, it has been revealed.

The number of people with flu like illness is continuing to rise across Worcestershire and at a national level as part of the normal development of seasonal flu.

Swine flu (H1N1) is the main flu virus circulating this year, affecting mostly younger people. many of those most seriously affected have been patients under 65 years with long term conditions, including pregnancy.

NHS Worcestershire and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust are continuing to urge eligible people to get vaccinated against the virus.

People displaying flu-like symptoms are being asked to refrain from visiting patients in hospital to avoid the spread of infection further.

Stuart Bourne, assistant director of public health at NHS Worcestershire, said: “Influenza, or flu is highly contagious and can lead to serious illness or even death.

“The seasonal flu jab is safe and effective and offers protection against the strains of flu that are circulating this winter, including swine flu.

“People at risk from flu and who should be vaccinated include everybody over 65, people in residential care, people under 65 with chronic illnesses, people with lowered immunity to infection as a result of illness or treatment and pregnant women.

“Flu vaccine is also recommended for carers of the elderly and infirm, and health and social care staff.”

He added: “I strongly recommend everyone at risk to be vaccinated against flu as soon as possible.

“They can contact their GP, or pregnant women who can’t get hold of their GP can phone their midwife to arrange vaccination.

“If you catch flu the best advice is to rest, drink plenty of fluids and take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve symptoms, according to manufacturers’ instructions.

“If symptoms are severe, particularly in patients who are vulnerable, you should seek medical advice.”

meanwhile, the number of patients with flu-like illnesses on critical care units in the region has risen over the past week.

A total of 88 patients with suspected or confirmed flu are currently being cared for on critical care units in hospitals across the West Midlands, compared to 56 last week.

For advice on flu and the seasonal flu vaccine log on to worcestershire.nhs.uk/flu-information.

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