Hospital complaint. Help!

[FlamingGoat]

I've have made a decision to put in a complaint to the hospital that my Mum died in.

A family friend was with her when she died. He rang me (after he had spoken to a family member thousands of miles away who then told me by WhatsApp that she had passed) to tell me that somebody would be ringing me from the hospital to talk to me and give me further information. At the time I was in the middle of a 600 mile drive to the hospital.

Nobody from the Hospital rang me.

I had also been told by our friend that my Mother would be in the Chapel of Rest so that I could visit her when I arrived at the hospital . Then my friend rang back to say that I had to ring another number at 10am to arrange to see her. When I rang to try and arrange to see her I was told the Coroner would be dealing with her. I didn't get to see her. In hindsight I should have insisted but at the time I was numb, in shock and had been up for over 24 hours.

Before her death a lovely Doctor from A+E had rung me when she was admitted and had gone through the treatment plan and updated me.

The only communication I had after her death was with the Coroner.

I should have been informed by the Hospital of her death as obviously I would have had questions that our family friend couldn't answer.

I am so angry by it all.

I have emailed the hospital trust and a member of the feedback and engagement team is calling me next week when I'm off work.

What type of thing should I be asking him? I want to take this further as no one should go through this.

Did the hospital have you documented as next of kin? It sounds very much as though the staff weren't aware you where next of kin, I could be totally wrong though!

Yes. I've always been on her records as N.O.K.
The Doctor who originally rang me when she was admitted had treated my Mother before and had met me when she was in ICU.

It sounds strange that her friend was there when she passed but the nurse didn't contact you, I'm a nurse on ICU and can only imagine the only way this would have happened would be if the nurse and doctor looking after your mum at the time of her passing weren't aware of next of kin not being who was at the bedside at that time. Or the patient declining family members being contacted. I hope you get some answers either way, it's a horrible situation.

Sorry. I haven't explained very well. It's been 10 weeks so I'm still a bit all over the place.
My Mum had been ICU the previous year. This was in A+E as she was brought in unresponsive after being found on tge fkoor after i called for a welfare check. Our family friend was there as we called them as they live by the hospital so they could make sure she wasn't on her own. I was updated by the Doctor (who had previously treated her and had spent two weeks with us when she was in ICU). He knew that I was on my way down. According to the Coroner's call, they were involved as no Doctor/Nurse were with her when she died so they had to establish cause of death.
Thank God our friend was with her.

Ah okay, I can only suggest that maybe as you where travelling down they didn't contact you as there was nothing more they could do to get you there faster and they didn't want to panic you and therefore maybe endanger you if you where driving? Im sorry whatever happened and hope you get the answers you need and deserve regardless!

According to the Coroner's call, they were involved as no Doctor/Nurse were with her when she died so they had to establish cause of death.

Sorry, in no way want to be insensitive but am a tad confused. Was she already deceased when she was brought into the hospital? It’s just that you said the A&E Dr contacted you with the treatment plan. If she passed away in hospital then it would be classed as a healthcare professional being there when she died whether they were physically with her or not at the time. If she was brought in already deceased then I understand the predicament with the Coroner. I’m very sorry for your loss.

She was alive when she was taken in . The Coroner said as no HCP was there when she died (Dr had gone off shift it seems and apparently it was outside of normal hours- just after midnight ) they couldn't say why she died so there had to be a PM to establish cause of death. I am not faulting her care at all. The hospital over the last two years have been amazing.

All deaths within 24 hours of admission to hospital have to be reported to the Coroner. If there is any doubt as to the cause of death, then a Post Mortem will be carried out to determine the cause of death. If your DM was unresponsive when she was brought to the hospital and died shortly after, then that would be a situation where they had to establish what caused her to be unresponsive.

I'm sorry you weren't cared for when you reached the hospital. Most hospitals have a bereavement officer who coordinates the care of relatives of patients who have died. They make sure they know what happened clinically, who you can speak to, where their relative is, when they can see them, where any personal belongings are, how long a post mortem certificate will take, how long it will be before a death certificate can be issued, when the funeral can be held, etc. They make it all that bit easier.

Do raise your concerns. I'm sure they will want to put things right for you.