A family were distraught when doctors said their 70-year-old mum was about to die, only to later reveal there had been a mistake.
Tim Prime received the devastating phone call on March 7, when he says a doctor said his mum Sheila Prime would not receive any further hospital treatment. He said the doctor advised him to gather loved ones and prepare to say their goodbyes.
Tim said the call left him "completely in bits" as his mum is his "best friend". After he and other family members made their way to Hull Royal Hospital, they were told by a senior nurse that whoever he had spoken to had given them incorrect information.
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A spokeswoman for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has confirmed that they are aware of the complaint. Sheila was first admitted to hospital on Christmas Eve with a chest infection, then diagnosed with pneumonia shortly after, Hull Live reports.
For a while, Sheila was fed by PEG tube feeding, and was then transitioned into mouth feeding again, but required a level five diet, which meant her food had to be minced and moist. On March 7, her children received the traumatic phone call from someone Tim said identified themselves as a doctor at Hull Royal Infirmary.
According to Tim, he told the family that Sheila did not have long left to live, and the hospital were preparing to stop treatment and feeding. Tim said: "When I got the phone call I was absolutely devastated. My mum is my queen and I can't see my life without her.
"Anyone that has met her loves her, and she is such a popular lady. I have had a rough few months with my mental health, and this news was almost enough to tip me over the edge. I decided to stay strong for my siblings, and thank god that I did."
Sheila was, in fact, not dying and the family claim that they were told the doctor that had called them had not seen their mum's medical records. Tim said the family were "beyond angry" at the emotional turmoil and have made a formal complaint.
A spokeswoman for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said, in response to the allegations: “We can confirm receipt of a complaint from Mr Prime relating to a member of staff’s conduct and communication, and we will respond directly to Mr Prime in due course."
This, however, only seemed to be the tip of the iceberg for Mr Prime, as Sheila moved wards immediately after the complaint, where she was then deemed fit for discharge. The hospital then discharged her back to Redwood Glades care home, despite the care home saying they could not cater to her needs.
Redwood Glades then sent Sheila back to the hospital, which is where she currently resides, after only 12 hours in their care. Her son, Tim, is concerned for his mum's welfare, and says many mistakes have been made since Sheila's pneumonia diagnosis.
Tim said: "When visiting mum in the hospital, and having a meeting with her social worker, a staff member gave my mum lunch; an omelette with peas. Due to mum having a level five diet, she needs all of her food mincing and mashing, and she has a red tray which means that she needs assistance with eating. I took a picture of the food she was given, which is clearly not cut up at all, and nobody stuck around to help her."
In a video recorded by Tim, of his meeting with a social worker, the social worker can be heard admitting that "mistakes have been made on all sides". She also noted her concerns about Sheila's feeding situation and has told Tim that social services have filed their own complaint.
A spokeswoman from the NHS Trust said on these further issues: "We are concerned to hear of further issues relating to his mother’s feeding and discharge arrangements, and would welcome a further conversation with Mr Prime in order that these additional concerns can be better understood and investigated."
The NHS Trust has said that the only complaint they have received so far relates to misinformation and communication.
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