A 95-year-old man who died after being assaulted by a fellow care home resident was left without water while being treated in hospital, an inquest has heard.
The Coroner was told that Douglas Davies, who had been living at Lakeside Manor in St Peter, was attacked in the care home’s lounge on 29 August 2023, suffering a broken hip.
His subsequent treatment at Jersey General Hospital included multiple failings, the inquest heard, such as a lack of proper nutrition and necessary antibiotics.
Mr Davies underwent emergency hip surgery the following day, but was then found to have an acute kidney injury following blood tests.
He then stopped eating and drinking before dying on 4 September 2023.
Mr Davies was assaulted by a fellow resident in the lounge at Lakeside Manor Care Home in St Peter in 2023. Credit: ITV Channel
A postmortem revealed that Mr Davies died as a result of multiple organ failure caused by complications from the hip surgery, and that his old age and dementia were contributing factors.
A serious incident investigation report carried out by Health and Care Jersey (HCJ) found that the day after Mr Davies was admitted to hospital, there was no record of him receiving any fluids.
The review states there was “no consideration” for the frail man’s nutrition during his six-day stay in hospital and no proper supervision by senior managers.
It was noted that Mr Davies also suffered a morphine overdose during his treatment, for which he needed emergency care.
Staffing concerns were raised at the inquest, with agency workers frequently used to fill gaps caused by absence – on more than one occasion whilst Mr Davies was in hospital, some shifts were not covered.
Dr Simon Chapman, an emergency medicine consultant at the hospital, told the inquest their care “fell short”.
He explained that doctors and nurses had not even considered the possibility of kidney damage when Mr Davies was taken to hospital, meaning he would have been more likely to overdose on opioids.
Speaking about what has been done to avoid similar failings moving forward, the consultant said that the hospital now uses a fully digital system for all staff to share notes on patients and better identify those who need more serious treatment.
Simon West, Medical Director for HCJ, says: “I would like to offer my deepest sympathies to Mr Davies’ family.
“Following this case, several measures have been implemented, and I’d like to further reassure islanders that as an organisation we are firmly committed to the continuous enhancement of patient care.
“We also continue to strengthen our approach to supporting patients’ hydration and nutritional needs as a fundamental part of safe and compassionate care across all our services.”
As Jersey goes to the polls and with Senators back on the ballot, ITV Channel’s Jess Dunsdon and Luke Keohane break down the key election issues alongside expert guests. Listen to Jersey Votes wherever you get your podcasts or watch on ITVX, and YouTube below, with new episodes each Thursday…