Man dies at hospital after wrongly being fed jelly

An elderly man with swallowing difficulties died in hospital after he was wrongly fed jelly and choked.

Milton Keynes Coroner's Court heard that Edward Cassin, 67 should not have been given jelly as it turns to liquid in the mouth and causes choking with people with dysphagia.

Because of his dysphagia he was on a modified diet and required supervision when eating to mitigate the risk of choking.

Despite this, there was evidence he was repeatedly fed jelly - highlighted as a food he should not be given - through his stay in hospital.

He was not properly supervised and he aspirated.

He died four days later in Milton Keynes University Hospital on 28 June 2023 as he was waiting to be discharged to a new care home.

The trust said it had "made meaningful changes to policy and practice to prevent similar incidences happening in the future".

Assistant Coroner Sean Cummings recorded his medical cause of death as aspiration pneumonia, chronic dysphagia and type 2 diabetes.

He concluded his death was contributed to by neglect and if he had been treated for the developing aspiration pneumonia he would likely not have died at the time he did.

Caron Heyes, a director at Fieldfisher representing Eddie's family, said: "We were shocked that eight years after Public Health England issued clear guidelines about the dangers of feeding inpatients with dysphagia and learning disability, they are still not recognised in a major hospital."

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Source: BBC News, 20 February 2025