An inquest will be held into a woman’s death after her family complained that her care home took too long to seek medical help.
Alzheimer’s patient Pauline Austin, 72, died on April 20 from a brain haemorrhage.
An inquest hearing on Thursday morning (October 31) heard that when care home staff called her an ambulance, they reported that her health had been “deteriorating for two days”.
Coroner’s officer Jean Smyth revealed the detail under oath during a brief inquest opening at East London Coroner’s Court in Walthamstow.
Mrs Austin was a resident of Bupa-run Harts House Care Home in Harts Grove, Woodford Green.
The court heard that after arriving at the hospital, Mrs Austin fell unconscious in the emergency department.
The hospital was not named in court.
The intensive care unit helped to organise a CT scan, which found a “large cerebral haemorrhage” – meaning a bleed on the brain – which extended into the fluid-filled chambers that cushion the brain.
Mrs Austin “deteriorated quickly and passed away with family present,” Mrs Smyth told coroner Nadia Persaud.
A pathologist has since given her cause of death as “acute intracerebral haemorrhage” – also known as a haemorrhagic stroke – and “brain stem herniation”.
Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes were also listed as contributing factors.
Mrs Smyth told the coroner that there had been “representations made by the family that there was a delay in calling the London Ambulance Service”.
They had also raised concerns about “problems in communication” between care home staff and paramedics.
Mrs Persaud declared Mrs Austin’s family, the care provider and the London Ambulance Service interested persons in the inquest.
Interested persons have the right to interrogate evidence and question witnesses.
She also ordered that the care home’s records, including contemporaneous notes, be handed to the court, along with the outcome of any internal investigation it had held into Mrs Austin’s death.
The inquest was scheduled for April 9.
Bupa said: “Our deepest condolences go to Ms Austin’s family. We will be assisting HM Coroner’s Court with the inquest investigation.
“As this is an open investigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here