Scroll forward to 1 hours and 55 minutes, then
to 2 hours and 7 minutes
Frances Finn sits in for Andy Whittaker
Full transcription follows:
Frances
Finn 1.55
Now, have you heard of something called the Liverpool
Care plan? From what we can make of it at BBC Radio Nottingham ,
it’s a way of looking after a patient who is going to die that really
accelerates their death. Eh, water and food can be withdrawn. You’re going to
hear from one Nottinghamshire woman who is horrified to find out that her
father was put on this plan even though she believes he wasn’t terminally ill.
More on this to come -
News follows………………………..
Frances
Finn 2.07
Denise
Good morning Frances
Frances
Finn
82, okay. He was admitted to hospital,
but you don’t think he was terminally ill.
Denise
No, he definitely was not terminally
ill. He was admitted with shortage of breath. His doctor was concerned that he
had pneumonia. And as such he was being treated for pneumonia in the hospital.
Frances
Finn
Now, this Care Pathway, as I said, it
can accelerate a patient’s death and, I think in the case of the terminally
ill, you can understand that, for the patient, that can be the best way
forward. You know, why elongate the suffering of an individual? But, you had no
idea this was on the cards until you began to notice a few signs, didn’t you?
What did you notice?
Denise
Well, we noticed that, em, is the common
denominator seems to be people are moved into a side room, there’s no actual
monitors on them, they have a mask on them and they have no food and no water.
And basically, any sign of movement and the nursing staff come in and up their
sedatives and up the morphine. So, basically, eh, it’s almost gassing them.
Frances
Finn
Were you asked if you wanted him to be
put on the Pathway?
Denise
Not at all, no. No, we, we had absolutely
no idea what the Liverpool Care Pathway was until all this came out in the
press very recently and it was something that was mentioned in passing like
just mentioning, you know, there’s a storm in America. That’s about all we knew
about it.
Frances
Finn
And you found out for sure after the
coroner made his report, is that right?
Denise
Yes, my brother was able to examine the,
eh, medical certificate at the crematorium before my father’s funeral and he
annotated what was on there because we queried something when we went to the
bereathement centre, em and, basically we just wanted to find out what it was
that they said dad had died of. At the time, you don’t sort of take things in.
So, my brother had made extensive and copious notes about what it actually said
on there and the bottom line was that he was put on Liverpool
Care Pathway. Well, I couldn’t believe it. I thought that’s tantamount to
murder.
Frances
Finn
Because you don’t believe he would have
died?
Denise
I don’t believe he was that ill that it
needed anything like that to actually, em, kill him off, basically, no. My dad,
two hours before he died, was trying to get out of bed to go to the bathroom.
Frances
Finn
And you say that he was wanting water,
he was asking for water?
Denise
Yes, when we were actually there with
him on the Wednesday, we weren’t allowed to give him a cup of tea or anything
like that. We had these little doily
sponge things to give to him em…and er, when we actually
Frances
Finn
To wipe the water round the inside of
his mouth? (repeats)
Denise
Yes. That’s right, yeah. And basically
we wetted these things for him and it was like seeing a newborn baby sucking on
a bottle. He was gasping for water, or fluids. It was awful to see. I mean, now
I know what it’s all about, if I’d known as much as I do now, you know, then, I
probably would have created absolute mayhem and, at the moment, I just feel
that something more could have been done and I just feel terrible, I really do.
Frances
Finn
I believe that the rules are that
accompany the pathway are that if a patient does start to show signs of thirst,
movement as you say, that is a situation that demands a review. You know, if
that patient on the right plan for their care…
Denise
Exactly right
Frances
Finn
They were ignoring those signs?
Denise
Exactly right. There are four criteria
they should actuall adhering to. One is that they’re comatose. The other one is
that they can’t swallow tablets. The other one is that they can’t speak. And
also that they can’t get out of bed. Well, you tell me which one my dad was
because there’s supposed to be at least two of those which are tantamount to
putting people on the pathway. And I have to say, he was none of those. If a
man was trying to get out of his bed two hours beforehand then, certainly, he
was not bedridden, and certainly he was swallowing, and, you know, whatever… it
was just a catalogue of disasters to be quite honest.
Frances
Finn
Denise, the way you describe him just
sucking on that little sponge, that must be now so heartbreaking for you. At
the time, you thought you were doing your best but, now looking back, how do
you feel?
Denise
I feel like I murdered him. (pause)
It’s… That’s how I feel. I feel so… I’m so… I’m going to get upset, now. I
actually feel that there should have been more that we could have done… (sobs)
it’s awful to think that my dad won’t be here anymore and I struggle with it
every day to try and think, you know, what could I have done. But at the time,
you think, you know, you’re putting your trust in a doctor who knows best. And
so, therefore, you don’t criticise what they’re doing; you think they’re doing
the best for people who are in hospitals. And I have to say, talk about losing
faith with the medical profession, having read so many disgusting, absolutely
horrific stories about what’s happened to other people’s relatives, I’m sorry,
but this, this has to stop and I’ve set up my own Facebook page for people to
contact me on. And there are three other Facebook pages which I am also a
member of and hearing people on a daily basis coming forward and telling me
their stories about what’s been happening is, actually, disgusting. And I’ve
actually turned round and said we should contact our MPs, although, having said
that, I’ve tried to make contact with two MPs who are pro the er this Dignitas
thing. One is Norman Lamb who is actually in Norfolk, one of my MPs, and the
other one is Anna Soubry, who is one of your MPs, but as we’re not in their
area, neither of them are interested, so how do you actually, em, contact them
to tell them that, actually, what’s happening with the Liverpool Care Pathway
is actually being abused because…?
People… are making money
Frances
Finn
Well I know that… There is an
investigation being carried out into this pathway itself, as a care strategy if
you like. We have asked Kings Mill
Hospital Liverpool
Care Pathway enables healthcare professionals to focus on care in the last
hours or days of life. It provides high quality care tailored to the patient’s
individual needs when their death is expected. Using the pathway in any
environment requires regular assessment and involves regular reflection,
challenge, senor decision making, clinical skill in the best interests of the
patient. The family of Mr. Charlesworth
hasn’t raised their concerns directly with us but we would be happy to
meet with them. Just finally, Denise, will you meet with them?
Denise
I definitely will because I want to know
why they thought they could play god with my father.
Frances
Finn
I’m so sorry to hear of what you’ve been
through, Denise, and as I said there is an investigation now as other patients
in other parts of the country have raised their concerns about the pathway.
Thankyou for talking to us.
Denise
Firstly, I offer my sincere codolences to Denise and her family.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I have to fully support, and commend, Professor Patrick Pullicino for expressing his concerns that the Liverpool Care Pathway is being prematurely and, at times, inappropriately implemented.
In August 2005 my partner only elected for a day surgery biopsy on a neck mass that began development in March 2005. As opposed to accompanying me home that day the Consultant surgeon came to tell me that she suffered respiratory collapse, in the recovery room, following surgery.
An emergency Tracheostomy was performed and she was made stable in ICU. At no time had she been judged as terminally ill.
I next saw her consciously 4 days later on the nursing ward where she then told me, “I have been through hell”. Because she expressed wishes to seek legal action when she returned home I have photographic evidence of her condition and over 300 ward medical notes now condemning the NHS Trust’s treatment.
Despite the biopsy result revealing Tongue cancer, no cancer treatment was forthcoming and she was immediately prescribed opiates. An undated DNAR notice only came to light after her death when the Trust took 4 months to forward the medical notes.
The “Kafkaesque” NHS complaint procedure and 2 Independent Reviews prove no evidence of cancer, her sole registered cause of death. But because the NHS Trust deliberately delayed their responses to expire the limitation period they have escaped any litigation.
To briefly summarise, the Liverpool Care Pathway, in its infancy, in 2005, was wrongly implemented and definitely, without question, hastened my partner’s death. Her only other complaint, apart from arthritic pain, was Asthma. So to have been prescribed Tramadol, MST, Oramorph and the final surreptitious administration of a Morphine syringe together with Midazolam and Cyclizine, in an Asthmatic with a previous history of DVT that was also overlooked, is considered gross neglect in the least. I thought I was only needing to prove a late cancer diagnosis, not to eventually learn that the lung nodules were multiple pulmonary embolisms. There is also no documentation of any heparin prophylaxis or surgical stockings being used.