Advice please, where to turn for answers?

[BuffyTheBuffetSlayer]

I'm writing on behalf of a family friend and really appreciate any help or advice.

Her DS (46) went to A&E, turned out he was having a heart attack, 2 stents were inserted to open up his arteries. He wasn't overweight, walked everywhere, didn't smoke and hardly touched alcohol.

He was told by DR's his heart wasnt beating properly, it was a cause for concern and he needed a pacemaker fitted to sort it out.

After a week in hospital with almost no contact with a DR after the initial arrival he still hadn't had the pacemaker fitted and ended up having another heart attack and died for 7 minutes but they managed to get him back.

A few days later he was told he was all good to go home (still no pacemaker and still 'concerning' irregular heartbeats) but he was mostly out of it on pain medication, family weren't allowed into the hospital so no one really got to discuss anything with a DR.

Day before he was due to get home he had a 3rd heart attack and sadly passed away.

His family and my DP (best friend) are distraught and have so many questions. Why was the pacemaker never fitted when they recognised he urgently needed it? Would that have prevented the 2nd cardiac arrest caused by the concerning irregular heartbeats? Why was he told he was fine and could go home despite no investigations or treatment for the 2nd heart attack?

His parents are elderly and have tried to ask these questions but feel they are getting fobbed off and nobody will answer their questions. The hospital also refused to do an autopsy. Apparently all autopsies are suspended.

Can someone please advise who his parents can talk to so they can get answers, this has been so devastating I would love for them to be able to get some closure. Thankyou for reading this x

First of all you need to put a formal complaint in and the hospital. I would probably go quite heavy handed and demand answers.

Thanks for replying. Is a heavy handed complaint their only option?

A formal complaint is not heavy handed, it is the only way to raise concerns about possible negligence leading to a man's death.

When do you think a formal complaint appropriate if not in these circumstances?

Any other path you take of being nice and polite will result in you continuing to be ignored and robbed off. Formal complaints are the only way to get any level of engagement. Or appointing a solicitor.

The NHS ignores anyone who takes the nice, polite, quiet "I know you're all busy and I really love the NHS so don't want to criticise" approach.

You have to be firm and assertive and refuse to back down until they engage with you. Formal complaint is how you commence that.

Get a no win no fee solicitor. Not one off the tv adverts. Find a local proper firm of solicitors that will offer this for medical negligence cases. It doesn’t sound like his parents are up to the gruelling job of following this through themselves, and it’s much better to have an expert do this at no financial risk to yourself.

The NHS do not ignore requests that are not firm handed. You also dont need a no fees solicitor.

Is there to be apist mortem?

I would advise the NOK to contacts PALs initially. Or contact the NHS Complaints Advocacy Service.

There may have been a reason as to why a pacemaker was not used. Going through Pals means you can find out all the information on his care.

Once you know all that the family can decide if tbeyneed to take further steps.

• a post mortem. ( obviously)

Definitely start with PALS - if you go straight in with a lawyer they will shut you down (their legal pockets are very deep). Request a meeting via PALS, write down all the questions you have and ask to record the meeting on your phone. That will help you decide next steps and provide a basis for instructing a lawyer should you need to.