A bereaved pensioner from Bishop’s Stortford has been in a state of disbelief since his spouse died after struggling respiratory arrest at a private hospital the place he had dropped her off for minor cosmetic surgery that by no means happened.
Brian Andrews drove his 76-year-old spouse Paula Andrews – previously Speirs – to her early-morning check-in at Weymouth Street Hospital in London’s Marylebone final August.
He stated a fond farewell, anticipating to select her up after the routine process. Instead, she was rushed to University College Hospital (UCH) for emergency therapy, having misplaced consciousness.
Paula had been feeling anxious concerning the process and took some medication at dwelling to calm her anxiety. Staff at Weymouth Street mistook the effects of the medication for alcohol intoxication. They cancelled the surgery and moved her to a private room to lie down and recuperate.
Later that morning, staff realised one thing was severely mistaken. Paula was transferred to UCH and died three days later.
The couple, who had each been married earlier than and had 9 grandchildren between them, made a brand new dwelling collectively in Chantry Road in Stortford in 2011.
Brian and Paula Andrews, who had each been married earlier than, made a brand new dwelling collectively in Bishop’s Stortford in 2011
Around the time of their marriage in January 2013, they moved to the north-western fringe of Stortford. The well-travelled couple typically spent their winters within the hotter climes of Florida and deliberate to purchase a house there; Brian hopes to take action nonetheless in Paula’s reminiscence.
They have been having a villa inbuilt northern Cyprus, however Paula, who significantly loved strolling and cooking, didn’t reside to see it accomplished.
Brian stated: “Paula was stunning and at all times took care of her appears. She was headstrong and wished some routine cosmetic process, having had just a few bits finished right here and there up to now. I at all times dropped her off at the hospital and waited to take her dwelling afterwards.
“Paula was very variety, loving and everyone’s favorite individual. She was at all times there to assist everybody and he or she was very, very beneficiant. We’re all in disbelief that this has occurred.”
Brian Andrews: “Paula was stunning and at all times took care of her appears.”
An inquest at St Pancras Coroner’s Court in London on February 25 was advised that the first contributing elements in Paula’s death have been hypoxic mind damage, respiratory arrest and benzodiazepine toxicity.
Mary Hassell, senior coroner for internal north London, decided that she died because of this of taking benzodiazepines which had not been prescribed for her.
But the coroner concluded that Paula’s tragic death on August 28 final 12 months might need been averted.
She stated: “The nurses [at Weymouth Street] wanting after Paula weren’t given any directions on the way to keep away from positional asphyxia, nor have been they suggested of the frequency with which they need to attend her.
“It is just not doable now to find out whether or not positional asphyxia was causative within the respiratory arrest at 11.40am on August 25 that led to Ms Speirs’ death in an NHS hospital three days later.”
Per week after the inquest, the coroner took the uncommon step of issuing a ‘Regulation 28 Prevention of Future Deaths Report’, requiring Weymouth Street Hospital proprietor Phoenix Hospital Group to take motion to stop comparable deaths in future.
Katheryn Riggs, a solicitor with Bishop’s Stortford-based Tees Law, performing on behalf of Mr Andrews, stated: “We share [the coroner’s] issues as to the care offered to Paula and the broader dangers to different sufferers sooner or later.
“We stay up for listening to from the cosmetic surgery clinic with reassurance as to what steps and studying they’ve ensured are in place in order that such a tragic incident doesn’t occur once more.”
