Coroner rules concerns over care of elderly woman did not cause death

AN Oldham woman passed away from natural causes a coroner concluded, despite concerns from family members that she had been neglected in hospital.

Margaret Ellen Smith (78), of Eden Street, died on March 27, 2016, and coroner Catherine McKenna concluded at an inquest at Heywood Phoenix Centre that she died from natural causes.

She was first admitted to the Royal Oldham Hospital in February, 2016, following a fall and was discharged on March 4 ­- during her time there she had thrombosis pain in her leg, had vomited blood, which tests could not explain, and developed diarrhoea.

Mrs Smith, who was diagnosed with diabetes around 20 years prior to her death, was re-admitted to hospital on March 10 after she took an afternoon nap and her son, Ronald, who was caring for her found her unresponsive.

While in hospital she was diagnosed with C. diff, a bowel infection, and developed a chesty cough ­- when she developed the cough, an X-ray was ordered on March 24, however it did not take place until the night of March 26. Pathologist Dr Alan Padwell, speaking at an earlier hearing, said that while carrying out the post mortem he found that Mrs Smith had a 'grossly' enlarged heart, which was an indication of severe strain over several years, her lungs were 'waterlogged', she had kidney disease and cirrhosis of the liver.

He found no C. diff infection and said that this would mean it had been treated by doctors.

Family members raised concerns about the level of care she received, saying that their concerns about her ability to cope at home when she was being discharged on the first occasion were ignored.

Cause

They also had concerns about the monitoring of her diabetes whilst in hospital, believing that it had not been checked properly and also questioning why when an X-ray was ordered it took two days for it to occur and why little action had been taken on previous X-rays.

Coroner McKenna said that the concerns the family raised did not cause or contribute to her death.

She said: "I accept that Margaret's diabetes management was very difficult. I don't find that any of the above caused or contributed to her death. I do not think that any part of the X-ray management caused or contributed to her death."

Coroner McKenna concluded death by natural causes with the cause of pneumonia, poorly controlled diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, kidney disease, left ventricular hypertrophy and C-diff, which had been treated.

She said: "Against a backdrop of life-limiting conditions the deceased died at the ROH on the March 27 of 2016. I would like to thank Margaret's family, I appreciate how hard it must be to be in a room full of strangers discussing your mothers death."