Hospital apologises after care failings led to mother's death

A hospital has apologised to a grieving family after a woman died following a routine operation because of mistakes in her care which "horrified" its bosses.

Muriel Leyland, 58, was starved of oxygen after going into hospital for elective surgery on her thyroid gland on, an inquest heard.

Mrs Leyland, a mother of three who also had one grandchild, underwent two procedures at the same time to remove a benign tumour in the neck. Although it was unusual to combine the two operations, the approach initially seemed to have worked.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After the operation at Harrogate District Hospital, Mrs Leyland's neck began to bleed, probably owing to high blood pressure. But nurses did not realise how serious the problem was and waited two hours before calling a doctor.

When her blood pressure rocketed, a nurse failed to give her medication to bring it down and still failed to call for assistance, ignoring hospital policy, it was said.

When the surgical team was finally called, Mrs Leyland, who had been dangerously deprived of oxygen, underwent a second corrective procedure where doctors inserted a tube down her throat to help her breathe.

The following day the tube was dislodged, possibly when staff in the intensive care unit moved Mrs Leyland, and her airway was dangerously obstructed for the second time in two days, the hearing was told.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There was a further delay before the breathing tube could be changed. The surgeon was forced to wait for a headlamp before carrying out the procedure.

Even though the switch succeeded and she was finally able to breathe again, Mrs Leyland, an Asda worker, of Hookstone Close, Harrogate, had already suffered irreversible brain damage which led to her death three weeks before last Christmas.

Delivering a narrative verdict at Harrogate Coroner's Court, Deputy Coroner Geoffrey Fell said: "Muriel Leyland died as a result of complications following necessary thyroid surgery.

"Recognised and established procedures were not followed in the immediate post-operative period resulting in oxygen deprivation and delays in treatment."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaking after the two-day inquest, the medical director for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Carl Gray, apologised to the family and said the hospital had implemented a number of changes in policy since the tragedy.

He said: "Muriel Leyland entrusted herself to us for an elective operation which had a high prospect of success.

"As the court has heard, unfortunately serious complications occurred in two episodes, one following as a consequence of the other, which resulted in irreversible brain damage for want of oxygen."

The trust had apologised to widower Christopher Leyland and his family.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dr Gray continued: "This failure in Mrs Leyland's case has horrified the trust and has had a profound effect on the staff members concerned."

Mr Leyland, 60, a retired customs and excise officer, said: "I feel very angry. It's been described as an unnecessary death, an avoidable death."