Man died after doctors failed to consider nurse’s notes
Posted 26 July 2023 - 14:30
An investigation has shown that notes indicating clear warning signs of stroke were not considered when David Harding was treated at Pinderfields Hospital
A grandfather died of a stroke while on holiday in England after emergency department (ED) doctors ‘did not consider’ a nurse’s concerns about his symptoms.
Nurse’s notes showed a clear indication of stroke symptoms
David Harding had travelled to England from Australia to visit relatives but became ill the day after he arrived. His family called an ambulance and he was taken to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield but died two days later.
An investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) found doctors who treated him had not considered information given to them by a nurse. It found the information would have led doctors to order a CT scan which would have shown signs of a stroke.
According to the PHSO, a nurse had noted that Mr Harding was affected by bright light and was complaining of a headache on the left side. Sensitivity to bright lights is a warning sign that someone has had a stroke. Paramedics also noted Mr Harding had reacted to sunlight, felt unable to walk and had a headache on his left side when they took him into the ED, the ombudsman said.
The PHSO investigation found no evidence that the doctor who saw Mr Harding in the ED had considered what the emergency nurse had logged as the circumstances of his collapse or read the records from the ambulance service.
‘That information would, in all probability, have led them to order a CT scan of his head. This would have shown signs of a stroke,’ the report said.
Neurological symptoms were not investigated
The report found there was no attempt to investigate Mr Harding’s neurological symptoms and he was then given drugs that can cause haemorrhage for people who have had a stroke.
He was seen by a consultant 19 hours after he arrived at the hospital – five hours later than medical guidance advises – and it was then that a stroke was suspected and a CT scan arranged.
While the ombudsman could not conclude that Mr Harding’s death was avoidable, it found he was denied the chance for treatment that could have led to his survival.
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which manages the hospital, said: ‘Ensuring our patients receive the best possible care is our priority. We acknowledge that the care provided to Mr Harding did not meet the standards expected. Actions have been put in place to make improvements.’
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