Family demand action after payout over patient’s death

Nursery nurse Gerry Hutchinson, 69, developed complications after undergoing successful surgery for bowel cancer at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

The mother-of-four underwent surgery to remove the cancer in January 2010 but her condition deteriorated. Doctors suspected she was suffering from a bowel leak and ordered a CT scan which proved inconclusive, forcing them to carry out a further operation to identify the problem.

But lawyers for the family say Mrs Hutchinson failed to receive further treatment and died a fortnight later from sepsis, or blood poisoning, caused by an infection from her bowel.

Her husband Bob, of Thorne, near Doncaster, said: “Losing my wife has been absolutely devastating. She was such an amazing person, she loved her job as a nursery nurse and the kids adored her as did her grandchildren who doted on her – they just loved spending time together.

“Gerry was such a huge part of our lives and to watch her suffer in the final weeks of her life was torturous – to know steps could have been taken to save her is difficult to live with.

“Although nothing can make up for what we have lost, I sincerely hope that our case encourages the trust to implement changes in their care of patients to prevent anyone else from suffering the hell we continue to go through.

“We need to know that other patients suffering from sepsis won’t suffer needlessly, as Gerry did.”

Mrs Hutchinson’s family have been awarded a five-figure out-of-court settlement after NHS officials admitted surgery would have saved her life. Ian Murray, of the family’s solicitors, Irwin Mitchell in Sheffield, said: “Gerry’s family have naturally been utterly devastated by her death. In the last weeks of her life, they stood by helplessly watching her suffer, putting their trust in medical staff who missed a crucial chance to save Gerry’s life.

“Although her family are relieved that the trust has since admitted its mistakes and apologised, they are furious that she was left to suffer as she did and that with proper care Gerry could still be here today. We firmly support their call to the trust to provide assurances that lessons have since been learned from tragedy in the hope that no other family will have to suffer such a devastating avoidable loss.”

A Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: “We offer our deepest sympathies to Mrs Hutchinson’s family and once again apologise for the fact that the care she received fell below the standard we expect.

“We thoroughly investigated the circumstances to see what lessons could be learned and are taking appropriate action.”

Mrs Hutchinson’s family have become involved with the UK Sepsis Trust which campaigns on the dangers of blood poisoning.