Inquest jury critical of nursing care

A father from the Black Country died after nursing home staff failed to follow recommended procedures, an inquest jury ruled.

The blunder "robbed" Ronald Kemble of years of life, his daughter said today. Mr Kemble, aged 81, died after a feeding tube was wrongly placed in his lung rather than his stomach.

An inquest jury at Smethwick Council House yesterday returned a narrative verdict.

It said that "current recommended medical procedure was not observed".

Mr Kemble, aged 81, of Acorn Road, Halesowen, died at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, in December 2007.

He had been rushed to hospital after his daughter noticed he was struggling to breathe when she visited him at Bupa's Warrens Hall Nursing Home in Tividale.

A pathologist told the inquest that despite having a stroke Mr Kemble could have survived five years if the tube had not been incorrectly inserted into his right lung.

The two-day inquest heard that nurses at Warrens Hall nursing home had used an outdated method of checking the position of the feeding tube.

Following the verdict coroner Robin Balmain said he was satisfied that Bupa had robust procedures in place to prevent this from happening again.

However, Victoria Blankstone of Irwin Mitchell solicitors, who represented his daughter Joanne Yale, said they were disappointed the jury had not been able to consider a neglect verdict and they would now be considering their options as to whether to take further action.

Ms Yale, aged 43, of Acorn Road, Halesowen, said that before the stroke Mr Kemble, a retired manager at Bookers Cash and Carry in Stirchley, Birmingham, was an active independent man.

She said: "He drove, did his own shopping, did the housework. He was even mowing the lawn the day before he had his stroke.

"I feel that he was robbed and I was robbed of seeing what improvements he could have made.

"At least this will prevent it happening to somebody else. If nothing else, nobody else will have to go through this."