University Hospitals Birmingham has expressed deep regret following the death of Geraldine Miles, an 84-year-old mother and grandmother, whose care was compromised during last year’s resident doctor strikes at Good Hope Hospital.
Mrs. Miles, affectionately known as ‘Dina’, was admitted on November 7 with diarrhoea but was discharged on November 17 despite a dangerously low potassium level that went untreated for four days. This critical oversight led to a cardiac arrest shortly after she returned home.
She was rushed back to Sutton Coldfield hospital, where doctors discovered she had suffered a catastrophic brain injury. Sadly, she passed away on November 26. Prior to her hospital admission, Mrs. Miles was fully independent, managing her shopping, cooking, and driving.
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The hospital trust has apologized for the failures in her care, acknowledging missed opportunities and committing to improvements aimed at preventing similar tragedies. A spokesperson from Good Hope Hospital told BirminghamLive, “We are deeply sorry for Mrs. Miles’ death and extend sincere condolences to her family. The coroner determined that complications from Clostridium difficile, alongside omissions in her care during a period of industrial action, contributed to her passing.”
The coroner’s inquest, led by Emma Brown, identified both systemic and individual failings and concluded that Mrs. Miles’ death was avoidable. She emphasized that these errors would likely not have occurred without the disruption caused by the national strikes: “The result sat ignored for four days, a gross failure under normal conditions,” Brown stated.
Although the hospital’s internal investigation downplayed the strikes as a major factor, the coroner highlighted how the increased workload and altered responsibilities during industrial action heightened the risk of such mistakes.
Mrs. Miles' cause of death was recorded as hypoxic brain injury following a cardiac arrest due to hypokalaemia caused by Clostridioides difficile infection. The coroner accepted evidence suggesting that, in standard conditions, the potassium abnormality would have been addressed promptly.
No prevention of future deaths report was issued because the trust had already implemented measures to improve clinical oversight and handovers, aiming to mitigate risks if similar disruptions occur again.