Medical neglect contributed to mother's death, inquest finds

A family say their mother was let down in the worst possible way when she died after being sent home from hospital with a blood clot on her lungs.

Sue Howell, from Bilston, died from a pulmonary embolism, a clot in the blood vessel connecting the heart with the lungs.

An inquest heard test results were available which would have alerted medical staff, but they were not acted upon.

The Black Country assistant coroner Helena Gallagher gave a narrative conclusion, noting the 73-year-old's death was contributed to by neglect in the medical treatment she received at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

In evidence, a doctor told the inquest she did not know the D-Dimer test had been requested and it was not in the patient's notes, despite the result being available several hours before the mother was sent home.

In a statement, the hospital apologised for "not providing the standard of care we strive for" and said an investigation since the patient's death had led to "several actions".

Related reading on the hub:

• Jenny, and why we must learn from her misdiagnosis of pulmonary embolism
• Patient Safety Spotlight Interview with Beverley Hunt, Professor of Thrombosis and Haemostasis and founder of Thrombosis UK
• Pulmonary embolism misdiagnosis – a systemic problem