Hospital apologises for its ‘catastrophic blunders’
A family has won out-of-court damages and an apology from a London hospital after an NHS watchdog ruled that "catastrophic blunders" led to the death of their mother.
A damning report by the Healthcare Commission found that Efthymia Yerolemou, 65, had received inept treatment at North Middlesex University Hospital over the three months before she died from multiple organ failure and septicaemia in May 2008.
Her three children say she died a painful and unnecessary death and that their concerns were ignored.
The pensioner's youngest daughter, who would only give her name as Ms A Yerolemou, said today: "The last few years have been a nightmare. My brother, sister and I were with her at every visit and our concerns were ignored. It's been a disgrace.
"People die who shouldn't and our mum died a horrible, painful death devoid of any shred of dignity.
"I pray no one else has to go through this awful experience, but I have no confidence in this hospital's administration being able to act."
Lawyers representing the family identified 20 pages of failings in the hospital's care including junior doctors working unsupervised and at times no medical cover on wards at all.
A spokeswoman for NMUH NHS Trust said: "We have apologised to the family and fully accept the findings of the Healthcare Commission."
