Deaths at Leeds hospitals prompt investigations

In one case, a patient was transferred out of intensive care and health bosses believe this contributed to their death and in another, a patient was given the wrong medication.

The deaths are among 16 serious incidents which occurred at Leeds hospitals in March and April and are detailed in a report to directors at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

In the first case, the patient was transferred from the Intensive Care Unit to a surgical ward but died later that day.

Craig Brigg, director of quality at the trust, said: “It was considered that discharge out of critical care was a contributory cause to the death.”

An apology has been issued to the patient’s family and a serious incident investigation is being conducted.

An apology has also been given to the family of the patient who was given intravenous antibiotic medication in error. Toxicology tests are underway to see whether their death was linked to the mistake, the coroner has also been involved and nurses have been retrained.

In a third incident, a patient died after arriving at hospital despite prompt treatment.

Later it was discovered they had undergone tests days earlier which had showed an impending bowel obstruction, but the findings were not communicated urgently to the clinical team.

An investigation is underway.

Other incidents included the deaths of two elderly patients linked to MRSA, a cancer patient who developed a serious pressure ulcer and the attempted suicide of a patient at St James’s Hospital.

Other new incidents included further cases of pressure ulcers and seven patient falls.