Hospital trust apologises for treatment of couple

A NHS hospital trust has apologised for how a patient and his partner were treated shortly before his death, saying emotions were "heightened".

John Martin, 91, from Buckinghamshire died at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Berkshire, in June 2023 after catching pneumonia.

His partner, Anita Obhrai, said doctors "delayed" giving antibiotics and were "shouting" at him before his death.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said the medical treatment was correct but it was sorry for "any actions that caused additional upset" for the family.

Ms Obhrai raised concerns about how the couple were treated during the final moments of Mr Martin's life.

She said "alarm bells were ringing" when a doctor at the hospital told her they would put Mr Martin on palliative care if he did not respond to antibiotics within 72 hours.

"That is not long enough. I was a bit shocked listening to it. I kept going to the nurses saying why haven't you started his antibiotics?"

She said she was told by a nurse when she went to visit that there was no one at the hospital to prescribe the drugs because it was a Sunday.

"I was nervous," she added. "I thought he needed it urgently. I kept on and on about it. I was panicking and stressing."

"They started arguing with me and shouting, saying 'don't you tell us what to do'. It was awful. It haunts me."

Ms Obhrai has since received an apology from Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the hospital.

A letter from the hospital trust complaints team said Mr Martin "was on antibiotics throughout his admission and he was correctly treated."

It said emotions in the palliative care room had been "heightened" and a member of staff apologised if it "appeared as if she was shouting" while speaking to the couple.

It added Mr Martin had contracted sepsis from his pneumonia and paperwork before his death had said he was "likely to die during his admission".

In a statement, the trust said: "We always aim to provide the best possible care for patients at all stages of their lives.

"In this case we are very sorry for any actions that caused additional upset for Mr Martin's family."

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