Virtual ward patient died due to failure to transfer him to hospital

The death of a man being cared for on a virtual ward was the result of a “catalogue of failings” by two trusts, a coroner has ruled.

Tony Hornby died from pneumonia on 21 December last year while under the care of a virtual ward service from Mersey Care Foundation Trust and East Cheshire Trust.

Coroner Victoria Davies found that the “catalogue of failings” which contributed to the death of 71-year-old Mr Hornby could “be summarised as: an abject failure to recognise a deteriorating patient despite clear objective evidence from observations, a complete lack of professional curiosity by those who were aware of the observations… a breakdown in communication of the abnormal results, a failure to make a plan when considering the abnormal results, and a failure to escalate for action to be taken”.

The inquest ruled that readings recorded while he was on the virtual ward showed he should have been brought back to hospital days before his death.

Ms Davies concluded that Mr Hornby had experienced a “series of gross failures to provide basic medical care” and his death was “due to natural causes contributed to by neglect”.

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Source: HSJ, 19 October 2026