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When Francesca Sears brought her husband Malcolm to the Nelson Hospital emergency department, she never thought he would be dead two days later.
Three years after the Francesca Sears attack, a healthy husband died of pancreatitis, Nelson Marlborough Health has admitted to failures in his care.
In May 2017, the Nelson woman took her husband, Malcolm, to the Nelson Hospital emergency department after he experienced severe abdominal pain. It was diagnosed as “mild to moderate” acute pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas.
The 69-year-old man died 48 hours after being admitted to a place where Francesca thought he was “in good hands.”
“It’s disgusting.”
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Francesca said the hospital failed her husband on many levels, “with its inexperienced staff, a great lack of communication not only between the hospital staff but also me, his wife, and a complete disregard for his needs.”
According to a report by the Commissioner of Health and Disabilities, released this month, Malcolm was admitted to the hospital in the early afternoon of May 17. As his condition gradually worsened, he was seen by different doctors and nurses who often did not write full notes on his health. state.
“NMDHB did not have a system in place to support good communication between teams and ensure adequate supervision of nurses and junior staff by appropriate senior physicians,” concluded the commissioner.
It found there was “a lack of clarity about who had overall responsibility for Mr. Sears’ care.”
It wasn’t until 8 a.m. on May 19 that he was transferred to intensive care where he suffered cardiac arrest four hours later and died.
Francesca said that no staff member indicated that she might die.
MARTIN DE RUYTER
Francesca Sears finally has answers from the Commissioner of Health and Disability after her husband, Malcolm Sears, suddenly died of pancreatitis while at Nelson Hospital.
He was with Malcolm’s sister-in-law when they were brought into the living room.
“I had no idea that I would never see him alive again. Being told by two complete strangers that he was dead was a complete and utter shock. “
She complained to the commissioner who found that the board of health had violated the Code of Rights of Consumers of Health Services and the Disabled about her care.
“During the night of May 18-19, staff failed to adequately acknowledge Mr. Sears’ impairment and increased their attention in a timely manner,” the report says.
“As a result, there was a delay in the transfer of Mr. Sears to the ICU and as a result, the opportunity to receive treatment for his deteriorating condition at an earlier time was lost.”
In a letter to Francesca Sears this month, Nelson Marlborough Health Surgical Services Manager Gillian Champion and Nelson’s Head of General Surgery Department Susan Seifried apologized and described the changes that had been made to prevent them from being repeat the same mistakes.
Martin De Ruyter / Things
A letter of apology from Nelson Marlborough Health is no remedy to bring Malcolm Sears back, says Francesca.
“The events of your admission and subsequent passing have clearly been very distressing to you and your family and for this we would like to apologize and offer our condolences,” he said.
The letter stated that one of the main changes made was the introduction of a list of acute surgeons. “This has been a significant change in the care of our acute patients and was a key learning from the review of her husband’s patient journey.”
Francesca said the board had “taken the blame… but what is a life worth?
“They take it and go, sorry.”
Francesca met Malcolm when she was 15 years old, “he was the love of my life.”
The couple had been married for 50 years, Francesca said, and was suddenly taken away without warning when it could have been prevented.
Since then he has moved to Australia to be close to his children and grandchildren.
“I’m mad because I lost it.” He said he was a “fit and healthy man.”
“Nothing had happened to him, not a drinker, not a smoker, he worked all day; I went for bike rides, I went for a walk.
“We got married in the 60s … we started from nothing. We were tired, we tried very hard, this was our moment. “
