Coronavirus: Family want answers about hospital death

The daughter of a patient at Craigavon Area Hospital who died with Covid-19 says the trust has to explain how the virus entered his ward.

John Fleming, 79, from Loughgilly, was admitted to the haematology ward for bone cancer treatment last month.

The father-of-four was one of two haematology patients with Covid-19 to have died in the past 48 hours.

The Southern Health Trust said officials were working to get answers for the families.

The trust said a third patient from the same ward, who had been discharged, had also died but the virus was not the primary cause of death.

Fourteen patients on the ward were confirmed to have the virus in a cluster identified last week.

Health Minister Robin Swann said there must now be a thorough investigation.

Mr Fleming's daughter Yvonne Stewart said her father had wanted answers.

"When I went in to see him, he said, 'I didn't bargain for this - I don't want to die, I'm afraid of dying'," said Mrs Stewart.

"He asked me to tell his story because he didn't want another family to go through what we have been through."

Mr Fleming had worked as a heavy-plant mechanic until he developed myeloma, a bone cancer.

His prognosis was good and he was scheduled to be discharged from hospital the day after he tested positive for Covid-19.

"He went downhill after that," said his daughter.

"He fought really strong and hard. He gave everything."

The family were allowed to visit, and on Thursday, before he died, Mrs Stewart and her mother spent an hour with him.

"To watch him not being able to breathe, and his whole body moving to try and breathe, and trying to fight for breath, it was shocking," said Mrs Stewart.

"The staff in haematology and in the respiratory ward couldn't have done anything more for him, but what I would like to know and what my mother would like to know is how this virus got through the hospital defences into his ward.

"We can't get our head around it."

Due to the coronavirus restrictions, Mr Fleming's family are planning a cremation, without a wake or traditional funeral for his many friends and family to say farewell to a popular, funny man.

"This could happen to anybody, anywhere," added his daughter.

"I've such an ache in my heart, we all have.

"People need to wise up. Yes, you may get Covid, and it might be a mild attack, but you could pass that on to somebody else unwittingly, who passes that on to their parents or somebody who is very, very ill already."

Dr Maria O'Kane, medical director of the Southern Health Trust, said she could "completely understand" the family's concerns.

"Again I can't say it strongly enough, we are extremely sorry that this has happened," she told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme.

"Haematology is an area where they are always very particular about infection prevention control and that it is concerning to us, that even in an area where there are very strict measures and where it is constantly checked and audited that actually this virus is so contagious that it can still manifest itself there," she said.

"In addition, because of the nature of the patients who are looked after there, because they tend to be very immune-compromised for a variety of reasons, they are very vulnerable to picking up the virus.

"It would never be our intention to expose anyone to this and again in trying to understand how this came into the haematology setting, we are carrying out a review."

The health minister said the news of the deaths was "extremely distressing and disturbing".

"The Southern Trust has made clear that a detailed investigation is ongoing following the clusters at the hospital," said Mr Swann.

"This situation demands a thorough and expeditious investigation.

"Patients and bereaved families are entitled to answers."

No further patients have tested positive for Covid-19 on the haematology ward, according to the trust.

But 17 members of staff have contracted the virus and are off work.

Forty-two staff members who were potential contacts are also self-isolating.

The trust says a second member of staff on a general medical ward (Ward 3 South) has tested positive.

Fourteen staff members are self-isolating.

A total of 56 staff connected with the clusters are currently self-isolating, with more clinical and non-clinical staff across the trust isolating as well.

The trust said those generally relate to family or social contacts, where guidelines require a 14-day period of isolation.

The trust says the emergency department is operating as normal, after a cluster was identified there last month.

No further cases have been detected.