Bosses at the QEH have admitted staff \u201cfell below standard\u201d when they ignored a disabled man\u2019s seizures for hours.<\/p>\n
Joshua Bartlett, 24, who is cared for by his parents in Gorefield and Wisbech, was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Monday, December 15, after suffering multiple sudden seizures.<\/p>\n
Living with tuberous sclerosis, a rare and complex genetic condition which causes tumours to grow in his vital organs, the convulsions pose a serious risk to him – and his mother and father, Jane and Andy Bartlett, grew very concerned.<\/p>\n
The pair have now come out to say that what they experienced inside the QEH wards was \u201cdeeply wrong\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we arrived there at approximately 4pm, no handover was taken from the ambulance crew – no doctor or nurse came to assess Joshua,\u201d Mr Bartlett told the Lynn News.<\/p>\n
\u201cStaff were visibly present and working nearby, yet no one approached him, despite the fact that he was visibly seizing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The QEH has issued an apology for the standard of care Joshua Bartlett recieved<\/p>\n
Three hours ticked by, and the issue was raised multiple times – but no help came.<\/p>\n
By 7pm, Joshua\u2019s seizures started again, and this time he was choking.<\/p>\n
Mr Bartlett said: \u201cTwo doctors seated close by looked over, clearly observed what was happening and then returned to their computer screens.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey did not come to check his airway or assess his condition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joshua Bartlett suffers from tuberous sclerosis. Picture: Andy Bartlett<\/p>\n
Growing desperate, his parents complained once more, leading to the doctors having to call Addenbrooke\u2019s Hospital in Cambridge for advice.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoshua cannot speak, he cannot move, he cannot call for help,\u201d Mr Bartlett said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen medical professionals fail to act, he has no other means of protection.<\/p>\n
Interim executive managing director Chris Bown. Picture: QEH<\/p>\n
\u201cWatching a seizing, choking child be ignored by those responsible for his care is an experience no parent should endure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand the pressures facing the NHS, I understand staff shortages, overcrowded departments and impossible workloads – but what happened to Joshua was not simply a delay in care, it was a failure of attention, responsibility and basic human empathy towards a young person who wasn’t able to articulate himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family highlighted the compassion they received from ambulance crews, and described the difference between that and the ward as \u201cstark\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatients like Joshua are the measure of a healthcare system. If they can be overlooked, dismissed, or ignored, then something is deeply wrong,\u201d Mr Bartlett said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept looking at the dozens of posters along the corridors about treating staff with dignity and respect, and that must be part of any social contract between the public and those who serve in public services – but it shouldn\u2019t be one-way traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hospital has now issued an apology to Joshua, admitting its wrongs.<\/p>\n
Chris Bown, the interim executive managing director at the QEH, said: \u201cWe are very sorry that the level of care experienced by Joshua and his family on this day fell below the standard we aim to deliver and that patients should rightly expect.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to offer assurance that we are taking this feedback seriously.<\/p>\n
\u201cAction has been taken since we spoke with Joshua\u2019s family in December, and we remain in communication with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joshua\u2019s family has subsequently been working with the patient advice and liaison service, and say they have seen improvement in care.<\/p>\n
This is the latest in a series of recent issues at the QEH.<\/p>\n