Hospital staff may have missed chance to save stroke patient, investigation finds

David Harding died two days after he was taken to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, complaining of a severe pain in his head.

The father-of-three, who was a pit worker in Doncaster before he emigrated to Australia with his wife Sandra in 1971, had flown to the UK to see relatives the day before he fell ill.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found medical staff missed opportunities to diagnose him with a stroke and failed to provide treatment “that could have led to his survival”.

The ombudsman said information provided by paramedics and nurses suggested that a CT scan should have been ordered shortly after Mr Harding was admitted to A&E but no scan was done.

There was no attempt to investigate his neurological symptoms and he was given drugs that could cause a haemorrhage for people who have had a stroke.

He was seen by a consultant 19 hours after he was admitted to hospital – five hours later than medical guidance advises. A CT scan was eventually ordered and that led to Mr Harding’s diagnosis.

Staff also failed to keep his family informed about the seriousness of his condition, so they missed an opportunity to say goodbye when he was still conscious.

Mrs Harding said “something went drastically wrong at that hospital” and she “couldn’t understand why no one from the hospital was talking to us”.

“David was fit and well before we left Australia. The day before he became ill, he had been watching his favourite football teams, Leeds United and West Coast Eagles,” she said.

“The next morning, I found him on his knees, holding his head, and called the ambulance.

"The whole experience with the hospital has been absolutely dreadful. It’s something you can’t comprehend until it happens to you.”

She added: “I’m always thinking about it. It has really taken its toll.”

The ombudsman said Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, must apologise to Mr Harding’s family, pay them compensation and take action to ensure suspected strokes are treated quickly and effectively.

Chief Medical Officer Richard Robinson said: “We offer our sincere condolences to Mrs Harding and her family for the loss of David.

“Ensuring our patients receive the best possible care is our priority.

"We acknowledge that the care provided to David did not meet the standards expected. Actions have been put in place to make improvements.”