Heartbreaking news as an inquest reveals that Mary Powell, a beloved 91-year-old gran, died after being discharged from hospital without crucial medication. 😢 After being admitted with pneumonia, Mary was moved to a community hospital for rehab. However, her family, concerned about ward conditions, brought her home on a Saturday in an unplanned discharge—and without the blood thinners she needed to prevent a stroke.
Elaine, Mary’s daughter, shared that the family was unaware they needed to stop her usual meds and arrange a new prescription for Edoxaban, a blood thinner. Due to the lack of communication, Mary went without this vital medication for weeks.
Despite being treated at home via her GP’s “virtual ward” service, Mary’s condition worsened. An official discharge summary, which should have been sent immediately to alert her GP to the changes, only reached them 20 days later. 😠
The inquest confirmed Mary’s condition took a turn for the worse, leading to a stroke on April 8. Sadly, she passed away just days later, with pneumonia and other pre-existing conditions cited as contributing factors in her death.
The coroner acknowledged that, despite the medication oversight, Mary’s health issues might have led to a stroke anyway, but emphasised that steps are being taken to improve the process of unplanned discharges.
Our thoughts go out to her family during this incredibly difficult time. This case sheds light on the critical need for better hospital discharge communications. 💔🏥