The family of an NHS nurse who died days after doctors misdiagnosed her ‘horrendous’ chest pain as ‘indigestion’ have said she ‘was let down in the worst way possible’.Â
Paula Ivers, 47, from Denton in Tameside, Greater Manchester, was found by her young daugher collapsed on the floor of her bedroom at the family home on March 8, 2024.Â
Only three days earlier she had attended the A&E department of Tameside Hospital with extreme chest pain she described as ‘worse than childbirth’, the Manchester Evening News reported.Â
Doctors at the medical facility sent Ms Ivers home with a diagnosis of ‘indigestion’, having reassured her that her issues were not heart-related, an inquest into her death at Stockport Coroner’s Court heard.Â
An autopsy later was able to establish that her pain stemmed from a tear in the aorta, the largest artery in the human body, which carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the rest of the bodyÂ
The damage resulted in a cardiac arrest, with Ms Ivers’ family now accusing the hospital of multiple failings in both the level of care she received and her ultimate diagnosis.
After being advised to visit hospital by her GP the day before, Ms Ivers’ partner, Simon Norbury, took her to A&E and she was ‘struggling to breathe’ in the car.
Ms Ivers father had died of heart-related issues in his 40s and so there was a history of cardiac illness, the inquest was told.Â
Paula Ivers, 47, from Denton in Tameside, Greater Manchester, was found by her young daugher collapsed on the floor of her bedroom at the family home.
Ms Ivers had packed an overnight bag as she expected to be kept in for observation, but instead after blood tests, an ECG and a chest X-ray, she was sent to the hospital’s Same Day Emergency Care Unit.Â
After seeing a doctor who confirmed that blood tests were regular, she was discarded with a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease – commonly known as acid reflux – and told to treat it with over-the-counter heartburn medication.Â
However, her severe pain did not abate and she passed away on March 8, 2024.Â
Ms Ivers’ sister Lesley, who is also a nurse, said Paula was ‘destined to be a nurse from a young age’ but had been failed by the institution she gave her life to.Â
‘We were all relieved that she had been advised that it was nothing to do with her heart due to our family history of our dad passing away from a cardiac arrest when he was 43,’ she said.Â
‘It is a cruel irony that Paula was a fierce advocate and defender of the NHS, yet when she needed it most, she was let down in the worst way possible.’
Paula’s husband added: ‘We were shocked to have lost her when we were told it was indigestion and there was nothing to worry about.’Â
The inquest was told that the ECG and chest x-rays showed no abnormal findings and that her stats were in a ‘normal range’. Â
The inquest heard that Dr Osama Ahmed, a consultant in emergency medicine at Tameside, had reviewed the ECG results but had not examined Ms Ivers.Â
The specialist said there was insufficient evidence to point to a dissecting aortic aneurysm, but acknolweged that he was unaware of Ms Ivers’ family’s cardiac history. Â
Dr Ahmed also admitted that there was no documentation regarding his decision to diagnose ‘low risk’ chest pain and that she was not a suitable patient for the Same Day Emergency Care Unit.
Share or comment on this article:
NHS nurse, 47, died days after doctors said her ‘horrendous’ chest pain was ‘indigestion’: Grieving family says she ‘was let down in the worst way possible’