My Mum Shirley was a normal happy, caring lady who enjoyed life and worshipped her family. She didn't have a bad bone in her body and would do anything for anyone. She had been with my Dad Colin since school, and they had been married for 52 years. They went everywhere together. They had 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren, and they were my Mum's world. Mum was 73 years old, and in general, she was well for her age. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, but it was well controlled with medication. She also had a Hiatus Hernia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Ulcerative Colitis, all managed with medication. She had worked for 25 years at Scunthorpe Hospital, first as a domestic and then in the laundry department, but she was now retired.
It all started on March 3rd, 2018. Mum started vomiting what looked like blood and was taken to Scunthorpe Hospital. She became quite ill very fast and was admitted to a side room. A doctor mentioned a "Do Not Attempt Resuscitation" (DNAR) to us, but we firmly rejected the idea. The doctor also mentioned an endoscopy, but Mum deteriorated overnight, and they couldn't perform the test. However, she soon improved.
On March 6th, her breathing deteriorated, and she was diagnosed with Aspiration Pneumonia. She was moved to the ICU, but we later found that the high heart rate prompting this decision was related to her Hiatus Hernia, not respiratory failure. She was not in ICU for long, but two separate doctors noted her large Hiatus Hernia, which needed further investigation, though this never happened.
March 7th, back on a regular ward, they claimed Mum lacked capacity, which was untrue. On March 26th, she was discharged to Winterton rehab center, seemingly without a prognosis or follow-up plan. She spent one week there and was due to go home when she was rushed back to the hospital on April 3rd for the same problem. She was sedated and confused, and we were worried about her care.
On April 10th, we received the news of double Aspiration Pneumonia, but Mum's voice returned later, contradicting the initial diagnosis. We grew frustrated with the lack of answers about her condition and attempted to discuss her Hiatus Hernia with a doctor, but we were dismissed.
April 14th, Mum was declared medically fit for surgery related to her Hiatus Hernia, but the surgery was postponed. A DNAR was placed in her notes without our knowledge. Eventually, they restarted treatment, but the reasons for discontinuing it remained unclear. We felt Mum had been sedated and that she woke up sooner than expected.
April 29th, Mum was discharged again to Winterton rehab, but her condition deteriorated, and she was rushed back to the hospital on May 3rd. She was sedated, and doctors claimed it was due to medication they had given her, though details were lacking.
May 11th, they finally investigated her Hiatus Hernia, which had taken weeks. However, they postponed the surgery to June 14th and moved her to a side room. It was implied in her notes that we were consulted about an End of Life Pathway, which was untrue.
June 14th, the surgery was canceled, and we believe they put her on End of Life without our consent. She was sedated and moved to a side room again. Doctors suggested she was too ill for surgery. We disagreed and thought she was being overmedicated.
June 15th, early in the morning, we were called to the hospital as Mum had deteriorated. She was in a side room, heavily sedated, and moments after my dad arrived, she passed away.
We requested a post-mortem, which was denied, and the death certificate mentioned Aspiration Pneumonia, Parkinson's Disease, and Hiatus Hernia as causes of death, which we disagreed with. We lodged an official complaint, but the hospital denied wrongdoing, including placing Mum on End of Life care without our consent and providing excessive medication.
We believe Mum was wrongfully put on End of Life care, and we are determined to seek justice for her.
Playing God (Final Phase) by Jacqui Deevoy
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