Inquest Records 'Natural Causes' Verdict

Son's Anger Following 'Undignified Death' Of Coventry Pensioner

A Coventry pensioner who was wrongly told by hospital medics that she was suffering from pneumonia, died from a massive bleed to her heart just minutes after being discharged from A&E, an inquest has heard today.

92 year old Evelyn Jones from Binley had been taken to Coventry's Walsgrave hospital by her son on the evening of 15th December 2009 after she began to feel unwell with pains in her chest and arms.

HM Coroner for Coventry & Warwickshire, Louise Hunt, heard that the results of an ECG heart monitor trace were recorded but not acted upon.  An A&E doctor wrongly concluded that she was suffering from pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics before discharging her shortly after midnight that same evening.

On the way home in her son's car, Mrs Jones collapsed. Her son phoned 999 and was told to drag his mother out of the passenger seat, onto the pavement and to attempt emergency resuscitation. Paramedics attended the scene and rushed her back to Walsgrave Hospital where she was pronounced dead in the early hours of 16th December 2009.

Cause of death was confirmed as Haemopericardium a Ruptured Myocardial Infarction and a Coronary Thrombosis and today’s inquest recorded a verdict of natural causes.

Mrs Jones' son, Robin said: "I feel my mother was treated with total disregard by the hospital staff that evening. She should have been kept in and monitored. Instead she was sent home in the early hours of a freezing cold December morning and died in an undignified manner."

Mandy Luckman, a partner with Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, who is representing Mr Jones, commented: "The hospital has since admitted in a letter to the family that Mrs Jones should not have been discharged home that evening but should have been kept in for further observation.

"It also admitted that Mrs Jones should have been seen by a senior doctor for review but at today's inquest the hospital trust revealed it had no plans to change its policy going forward and I am therefore very concerned that lessons have not been learned.

"The trust has now apologised to Robin, who understandably remains traumatised by the memories of that evening and in particular the final moments spent desperately trying to resuscitate his mother on the pavement.

"Mr Jones will be considering the evidence from today's inquest but has confirmed that he intends to take civil action against the hospital trust."