Grandfather died because of blunder at Sandwell Hospital, inquest told
A grandfather died after wrongly being discharged from hospital – with medics admitting he 'would have survived' if his condition was treated as an emergency, an inquest heard.
Jeffrey Bennett, 65, from Coronation Road, Tipton, admitted himself to Sandwell Hospital on September 25 when a wound from a previous operation on his groin would not stop bleeding.
He was assessed by a junior doctor who diagnosed a post-operation wound infection. He was discharged with antibiotics and was found dead at home the next day.
Senior coroner Zafar Siddique declared a 'gross failure in basic medical care'. He gave a narrative conclusion with a contribution of neglect on the trust's part.
Mr Bennett, a retired foundry worker, had undergone several surgical procedures in August, due to the leaking wound.
Black Country Coroners' Court heard how Mr Bennett called an ambulance from home in the early hours of September 25.
When admitted to A&E at Sandwell Hospital, he was seen by a junior doctor who then spoke to senior consultant Dr Barnett Musiime. His blood pressure and pulse were stable. None of the doctors were aware of his medical history and no notes were recorded by Dr Musiime, the court heard.
Dr Shekhar Chillala, who was the consultant in charge on the night of Mr Bennett's admittance, but did not see him, said: "There was cause for concern here and a vascular opinion should have been sought. He would have survived if he had been admitted." A post mortem gave the cause of death as hypovolemic shock due to the blood loss. An internal investigation was carried out by the trust.
Dr Gabrielle Downey, consultant and tribunal member, said: "My conclusions are that the trust did not give the care he needed. He would have been alive today – this was an unsafe discharge."
Senior Coroner Zafar Siddique said he would keep a check on when the updated measures had been implemented.
Trust medical director, Roger Stedman, said: "We are sincerely sorry for the failure in our care when we were treating Mr Bennett. It should not have happened. We have learned from this incident to ensure patients who attend our emergency department with a major accident or condition are always reviewed by a senior doctor before they are discharged home."
