Family of great-grandmother who died at Dudley hospital accept damages
Dorothy Dunn from Sedgley, died at Russells Hall Hospital in July 2017
The family of a great-grandmother who died at one of the Midlands’ biggest hospitals have accepted damages and a full apology from the NHS trust which runs it.
86 year old Dorothy Dunn, from Sedgley, died at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley in July 2017, after what her family claim were avoidable delays in performing emergency surgery which could have saved her.
After a long legal fight, Mrs Dunn’s family have now received a letter of apology and damages from the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust.
The family has been supported by Midlands law firm FBC Manby Bowdler, which helped them uncover the full circumstances of Mrs Dunn’s death.
Michael Portman-Hann, from FBC Manby Bowdler, said: “The trust’s letter of apology, while welcome, comes after five years of avoidable trauma and distress for Dorothy’s family.
“Despite apologising for the failures in Dorothy’s care, the trust refused to formally admit liability as part of the family’s claim, so the family were dragged through the torment of a protracted legal process. This could have been avoided if the trust had been more candid about what happened and properly reported the death to the coroner, although the Trust have now formally apologised for these additional failures.
“Dorothy’s family has had to fight incredibly hard to find out the truth about what happened to her, and it was only after our involvement in asking the coroner to investigate further that an inquest was finally held. Were it not for their determination, these failures may never have come to light.”
Mrs Dunn was admitted to Russells Hall by ambulance with a swollen tongue which was restricting her breathing. When her airway became blocked further, doctors performed a “crash tracheostomy” – the cutting of a hole in the neck – during which she suffered a heart attack. She died five days later.
Mr Portman-Hann said the family believed there had been unnecessary delays in performing the tracheostomy, including a doctor called to help Mrs Dunn not immediately being told how serious her condition was.
The trust had acknowledged that vital medical equipment was not immediately to hand in the emergency department, and Mrs Dunn’s family also claimed that doctors failed to act appropriately and that she was left without treatment for a prolonged period of time.
An inquest into Mrs Dunn’s death was held last year. Black Country Coroner Zafar Siddique recorded a narrative verdict, in which he observed there was a delay in finding equipment, including a basic scalpel to perform the emergency procedure which would have helped Mrs Dunn to breathe. The coroner also concluded that, although he was unable to make a determination of neglect in this case, it was a borderline decision.
We've contacted the The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust for comment.