A 45-year-old dad checked into Bassetlaw Hospital in Workshop, England, in November 2022. The unidentified man reportedly had disabilities and went to the hospital following the diagnosis of a urinary tract infection. A physician prescribed IV antibiotics, but for some reason, they became significantly delayed. The man allegedly waited 34 hours for his meds, but by the time he got them, it was too late. He’d developed sepsis and died. Officials claim staff neglected the man’s needs, leading to his death.
According to a release from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, the man had Alexander’s disease, which affected his nervous system. The rare condition left him with respiratory and mobility issues and required 24-hour care and help with eating and personal hygiene. He lived at a care facility in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, that helped facilitate these needs.
The man had a permanent catheter, which made him more susceptible to urinary tract infections. In November 2022, he contracted a UTI that did not respond to antibiotics taken orally. His doctor referred him to Bassetlaw Hospital for IV antibiotics. The man had difficulty communicating and relied on staff to meet his needs. His mother reportedly questioned the care but did not know that her son had never received the antibiotics he was prescribed.
The hospital did not have access to the same online system his physician and care home staff used, and staff did not follow up with a written order. As a result, he did not receive the proper antibiotics until 34 hours after he arrived at the hospital. Sadly, he developed sepsis and died.
“Losing a life through sepsis should not be an inevitability. But we are seeing the same failings repeated time and time again, and complaints about sepsis have more than doubled over the past five years,” said Rebecca Hilsenrath KC (Hon), chief executive officer of PHSO. “We also see poor communication between patients and clinicians, and we are focusing our efforts to help improve this throughout the NHS.”
The news devastated the man’s mother.
“It was heartbreaking to finally understand the truth. I was given the impression he had at least been given some antibiotics, even if they weren’t the right ones. But to find out he was in hospital for all that time with no treatment was very hard,” she said. “It won’t bring my son back but it has given me closure and no one else should have to go through the same thing now that the Trust has been held to account.”
What a heartbreaking story. To lose a vulnerable patient who could have been saved is unconscionable. We hope the hospital has learned from this fatal mistake.
