UK Covid Inquiry: My Dad was put on end-of-life via a syringe driver; my Mum was written off

Mother

My Mum was in a wheelchair when she went to hospital, and I got the strong impression that, aside from her consultant, she had been written off from her admission because she was in a wheelchair, as well as because of her medical history. (Paragraph 51)

I called the hospital and asked about Mum. A deputy sister who spoke to me said “Any further treatment would be futile.” I could not believe this attitude, and found it so blunt, hurtful and fatalistic. There had never been any doctor or nurse ever mention palliative care to me prior to this. This call distressed me greatly. (Paragraph 52)

It was later suggested to me that my mother was denied rehabilitative treatment because she was continuing to test positive for covid. It is not clear to me that this was a legitimate reason to deny her treatment. (Paragraph 55)

If this is correct then it suggests my mother was improperly denied treatment. It also suggests that the hospital had been testing patients in hospital well after their contagious period had passed, for no apparent benefit. (Paragraph 56)

The disparity between what I had been told about my mother and how I found her further undermined my faith in the hospital, and gave me the impression that certain people in the hospital were trying to prevent me from going in to witness what I did. I understand my mother had been left over the Christmas holiday period (which had been extended due to being over a weekend) with just comfort treatment (fluid under the skin) as her IV access had been lost. I knew I had to get speaking to a doctor urgently but this seemed impossible as no consultants seemed to be available. I rang my own GP in extreme distress at the concerns I had. (Paragraph 60)

My mother’s already poor kidney function had deteriorated due to dehydration over the Christmas period. (Paragraph 62)

On Sunday morning, 17 January, the phone rang, and it was the hospital to tell me that Mum had passed away. The nurse was crying. The nurse said that she had been with Mum during the night and given her medication for her chest. (Paragraph 63)

Glycopynorrium had been given on 16/17th January for the chest rattle. My daughter later looked up the drug and discovered it was detrimental to kidney function. I could tell that he (the consultant) was concerned about what had occurred. I have reservations about the administration of this drug. (Paragraph 64)

Father

My father was admitted to hospital with delirium, which may have been due to covid or to a UTI which he had also contracted around this time. After he was admitted to hospital, I never saw him again, save for a short video call to say goodbye when he was already semi-unconscious and on end-of-life drugs, approximately 36 hours prior to his death. (Paragraph 37)

I do not remember DNRs being discussed, but the hospital had advised me that Dad would not be taken to ICU. This gave me the impression that they had already given up on him, and that there was rationing of care (to his detriment). (Paragraph 38)

My father was put on end-of-life medication via a syringe driver on 14th December. It was explained to me that he was in a lot of pain and there was no prospect of recovery. I queried whether his pain had any bearing on him being found on the floor apparently having fallen on 11th but was told it was not. (Paragraph 44)

I spoke to my father’s consultant later that day and queried the fall having contributed to his death and asked if a post-mortem could be performed. I was told this was not possible due to him being covid positive. I asked if there was any way of obtaining a post-mortem and the consultant directed me to contact independent pathologist Mr Brian Herron. I spoke with him and outlined my concerns and he stated that in normal circumstances due to my concerns he would have had no issue in conducting a post-mortem but due the body being covid positive he could not risk himself or his staff. (Paragraph 44)

Additional

Around 20 March 2020, the parents of Catherine and Claire Regan developed a cough. Their father, James Reagan, was a diabetic, and they requested a house call as he deteriorated, but this was refused and they had difficulty getting help from anybody. Eventually, he was admitted to a Covid Ward in Antrim Hospital, despite the fact that he was never tested for covid. They have concerns about much of his treatment, including that he was left in the ambulance with the door open for some time despite the cold, and that when they received his dressing gown back his hearing aid was still in his pocket, suggesting it had remained there throughout his admission. He was never brought to ICU. However, they are also particularly distressed that he was never tested for covid, as this gave the impression it was not important. They therefore find it insulting that covid-19 is recorded on his death certificate despite the fact that there was no effort to test for it. (Paragraph 15)

I really struggled to get any information at all about how either of my parents were doing. There seemed to be nobody to answer the phone, and if I did get through, I was told that staff were too busy to provide an update. I got so frustrated that I called them and told them in very blunt language that I needed information about Mum and Dad. (Paragraph 41)

It also meant that I had to go through my father’s death on my own, in isolation. My mother also had to go through the fact that my father, her husband of 53 years, passed away in the next room to her and I could not be there to comfort her, or her comfort me. As I noted above, I was permitted a video call with Dad, however he was already semi-unconscious for this. (Paragraph 48)

There was a failure in the response to covid to appreciate the extremely detrimental effects of isolation. (Paragraph 69)