Hospital, COVID, duty of care?

[GumsAndRosies]

Hard hat has been donned.

My DM died in hospital in December. She died from COVID, and was in hospital for two weeks before she died (she was admitted with a broken hip).

Trying to get hold of the hospital via phone was really difficult. I actually went to try to get up to the ward because I couldn't speak to a doctor on the phone, but was turned away.

We knew she was going downhill, but we weren't allowed to visit her. We were then phoned to be told there was nothing they could do and she was going to die. We were told we could come and visit.

I asked about PPE, as DM was on a red COVID general ward, and the doctor I spoke to said it would be provided. When I got there, I was handed a plastic pinny and gloves, and told it was fine to just wear my fabric mask.

I then sat by my DM's bedside overnight, and she died in the morning.
The ward had six beds in it, all with COVID patients on oxygen. I went on to test positive for COVID a week later.

Seven months later, I am still ill. I have had to give up work as I just can't do my job anymore. I sleep for ten hours a night and a couple of hours during the day. I can't care for my DS as I have no energy at all. I struggle to think clearly, have no concentration and my memory is really poor. I can't drive as I'm not safe to do so.

Obviously, I am angry that I am in this position. I know I am not alone, and many, many people have suffered similar or worse. But I can't help feel like this was avoidable.

On the news, we all saw people dressed in full PPE when dealing with COVID, but on this ward, all the staff just had pinnies and gloves. They did have proper masks and visors though.

My AIBU is - should I have been better protected? Not only have I lost my DM to hospital acquired COVID, but my life and that of my DS has now been hugely changed. I trusted that I would be ok, because there were no other options for PPE, and that staff did not mention the risk to me before I went onto the ward.

Sorry for your loss. I'm sorry to say this but you knew the risks going on to the ward and that is all the doctors wear unless the patient is on a ventilator. To have the maximum protection you would need to be fit tested for a FFP3 mask they don't just hand them out. I'm sorry you're struggling but they either need to say no to visitors at all or allow patients in with PPE- which they did give you and let you on to the ward knowing it's a COVID ward.

I'm sorry for your loss. What you have described is standard PPE for most medical professionals in dealing with covid - higher level PPE (with fit testing) is reserved for people undertaking aerosol generating procedures only. You may have been slightly better protected in a disposable mask but I can't see it would have made much difference. Thousands of HCPs have caught covid using the PPE you have described.

Also, although it's probably likely that you caught it on the ward, covid was absolutely rife in December and you could have caught it elsewhere. I caught it then and have absolutely no idea how.

All we were let wear for COVID patients with no aerosol generating procedure was ordinary paper face mask, plastic apron, gloves, and later on a visor. Certainly weren't let wear the full kit, unless performing aerosol generating procedures.

The apron/gloves/mask PPE is standard for Covid patients unless there is an aerosol generating procedure being done so you had the same PPE as worn by staff and as advised by Public Health England. By your own admission you knew your mother had covid and was on a covid ward before you went there and it’s been widely reported in the press that covid is very contagious and many healthcare workers have caught it so I don’t think you can argue that you weren’t aware of the risk, sorry.

I’m really sorry for your loss and that you are still struggling with long covid.

Sorry about your DM, December was an awful time in my trust. Yes you were wearing the correct PPE as that is all PHE deemed we needed to wear when caring for covid + patients.
The only thing different, is that we advised relatives they would need to isolate for 10 days after seeing their covid + relative. Were you given that advice? You must have known that you had a chance of catching covid from your DM.

I'm so sorry for your loss and the continued suffering.

I agree the gloves and apron are standard PPE for nhs staff.

But I disagree with others a fabric mask should have been deemed enough.

When ds has hospital appointments our 2 local hospitals insist all visitors wear provided surgical masks and I think if staff wore visors you should as a minimum have been advised to wear one.

I’m sorry you lost your DM OP.

Apron gloves and surgical mask are all the staff are wearing when dealing with wards of Covid +ve patients for prolonged periods as instructed by public health England.

So so sorry that you feel that have been forced into this situation & that you lost your mum. Just awful for you.
As everyone is saying though, that’s just how it had to be.

I do the fit testing for staff, I’m overwhelmed by the numbers of staff who require this procedure, I have literally fit tested hundreds of staff to date.
Some fail this testing which means a whole other testing situation. There is strict procedure in putting on & removing the masks which have caused open pressure wounds on the faces of staff.
I could not cope with having to do this (along side my full time job) for loads of visitors too. Especially if there are no aerosol generating procedures on that ward.
In the gentlest way, this is not something that you can complain about.

Are you getting any support with your recovery op.

Long covid is more likely when stress is a factor at the time of infection. Have you had sone support to deal with the emotional side of all this?

There was an article in the Guardian today, about a paper, still to be subjected to peer review, but it was issued early as it was felt to be important:

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/29/cambridge-hospitals-mask-upgrade-appears-to-eliminate-covid-19-risk-to-staff

Addenbrookes tested its own staff throughout the pandemic, and in late December gave all staff, working on Covid wards, FFP3 masks and that cut the infection rate to zero.

Also, this article in The Lancet

www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(21)00216-2/fulltext

It seems to me it suggests that APGs in ITUs are not particularly high in increasing the risk of passing on Covid infection; and that people with Covid coughing on Covid wards poses more of a risk to staff, wearing ordinary PPE?

To answer your question directly, the hospital did owe you a duty of care. That means they had a responsibility to do what was reasonable to keep you safe. That is, they have to keep to current advice, guidance and match what the rest of the "industry" is doing. Unfortunately they did that, and you still got sick. I'm really sorry for your loss, and that you're still struggling with your health.

I'm so sorry for your loss and not being able to see your mum until the last days has to have been awful. Combined with getting so sick. I honestly wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

The hospital did have a duty of care to you - which they fulfilled by giving you an informed choice to come in and giving you PPE. The same PPE the staff (who had no choice) were given. The Government had a duty of care to all of us, patients, visitors, hospital staff, and that's who you need to blame for this. It wasn't the hospital who decided what PPE you were given- we were completely limited by the guidance we were given. Guidance we knew put us at risk and fought against but as usual weren't listened to.