Jeffery Hayes choked on a hospital sandwich after life-saving equipment failed (Picture: SWNS)
A furious son whose dad choked to death on a hospital sandwich in Wigan has branded the care he received a ‘shambles’.
Jeffrey Heyes, 75, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, died when a piece of food became lodged in his airways and his jaw became ‘locked’ in a closed position.
But an inquest heard he was allowed to eat unsupervised in hospital, despite bread previously being found hanging from his mouth.
When he was found to be gagging, an emergency alarm did not work properly and a life-saving anti-choking machine failed due to flat batteries, it was heard.
The inquest was also told an oxygen mask had not been stored in the correct location, and staff had not carried out CPR due to a ‘do not resuscitate’ notice.
Jeffrey was ruled to have died from asphyxia due to accidental choking by a coroner after an inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court.
But after the hearing, his son Darren Heyes said he may launch further legal action.
Mr Hayes, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, died when a piece of food became lodged in his airways and his jaw became ‘locked’ in a closed positio (Picture: SWNS)
Darren said: ‘If there hadn’t been these technical cock-ups my dad might have survived.
‘He had Parkinson’s, he had difficulty eating. Why wasn’t someone monitoring him?
‘This wasn’t the first time. I’d gone in to see him one afternoon and he had bread hanging out of the corner of his mouth.
‘When I opened it, it was full of food. I told the nurses but they didn’t seem interested.
‘So when the phlebotomist found him choking, she shouted for nurses, then the alarm didn’t work properly and the anti-choking device’s battery was flat too.
‘It was a shambles.’
The court heard great-grandad Jeffrey was admitted to Royal Albert Edward Infirmary On January 5 last year where he was treated for urinary sepsis.
More Trending
The former plasterer, from Wigan was assessed by a Parkinson’s nurse the next day, who recommended he be placed on a ward for specialist elderly.
But as no beds were available, he was admitted to a general adult medical ward.
Darren later said he was disgusted with what he heard during the inquest into his death, which concluded on March 1, saying: ‘It was an absolute sh*t show.
‘I spent 14 hours in court and it was the worst experience of my life.”
The hospital trust’s medical director Professor Sanjay Arya acknowledged a need for improvement following the case.
He said: ‘It is with sadness that we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Mr Heyes’s family and friends, our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.
‘Following the incident, a thorough investigation was conducted, adhering to the highest standards of transparency and accountability.
‘The findings were carefully reviewed, and a comprehensive action plan has been implemented to address any identified care delivery issues.
‘We acknowledge the need for continuous improvement and are fully committed to learning from every aspect of the care provided.
‘The trust remains dedicated to delivering the highest standard of care and the safety and well-being of our patients will always be our top priority.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.