Family Alleges “Hospital Nightmare” Hindered Grief Over Grandmother’s Death

A woman has stated that her family’s grieving process for her deceased grandmother has been impeded by what she described as a “hospital nightmare.” Lilian Evans, aged 90, was admitted to Wrexham Maelor hospital on August 25 following an episode of vomiting blood. However, according to her granddaughter, Rachael Evans, 37, emergency department personnel admitted Ms. Evans for a urinary tract infection (UTI) that she did not possess. Rachael Evans characterized the standard of care provided to her grandmother as “unbelievable,” citing instances such as the administration of penicillin despite a known allergy and the diagnosis of cancer and Parkinson’s disease without the family’s notification. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board issued an apology regarding the identified shortcomings. Rachael, a resident of Wrexham, described her grandmother as an autonomous individual who cherished her King Charles spaniel, Meg. Lilian, who had marked her 90th birthday just a week prior to her hospital admission, maintained a routine of walking three times daily, a practice she continued even after Meg’s passing. Rachael stated that Lilian, who suffered from dementia, provided inaccurate information to emergency department staff upon her arrival, a fact Rachael uncovered after requesting her grandmother’s medical records posthumously. Rachael asserted, “There was not one test that showed that she had a UTI, they completely glossed over the fact that she was vomiting blood.” She added, “That didn’t seem to be an issue for them, and they just went along with it even though they wrote down that she didn’t have any symptoms of the UTI.” Rachael reported that her grandmother was initially admitted to the Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) and was “fully continent” prior to her hospitalization. After four days, she was transferred to Erddig ward. Rachael recounted, “When we went in the next morning, she was in a huge pad,” which was secured with net knickers. Lilian’s appetite diminished, leading to her being provided with nutrient-rich beverages. However, cream-based drinks caused her stomach-aches, prompting the family to request juice alternatives. Rachael stated, “Whenever we’d go, they’d have the cream ones in front of her for her to drink. I kept saying these are going to make her sick and give her a stomach ache.” She further claimed, “The nurses would make her down them.” Rachael reported that Lilian’s medication was kept in an unlocked cabinet, with some items that “could have seriously hurt somebody if they’d taken them.” Despite her repeated requests for staff to secure the medication, she consistently found it unlocked. Rachael disclosed that she learned her grandmother had been placed on end-of-life care incidentally, after inquiring about her condition with a hospital staff member, despite the family not having been formally informed. She described the situation as “absolutely horrific,” adding, “Every day we’d go and there’d be something else.” Rachael further commented, “If I didn’t have the evidence here, I don’t think anybody would actually believe us as to what actually went on there.” In the period preceding Lilian’s passing, another patient tested positive for Covid. Lilian underwent a lateral flow test on September 18, which yielded a positive result. Subsequently, a second report indicated that the same test had been erroneously registered, stating “please ignore.” Rachael recounted, “They went on to give her blood thinning injections, and she started vomiting up blood again.” She speculated, “If she didn’t have Covid, she wouldn’t have needed the blood thinning injections, she wouldn’t have started bringing up the blood again.” Lilian passed away on September 20, with pneumonia cited as the cause of death. Rachael expressed, “The issue surrounding her death was very suspicious to me. I still haven’t got to the bottom of it.” Upon reviewing Lilian’s hospital records, Rachael and her family found that she had been “on an intensive cancer management plan.” Physiotherapist notes also indicated a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and blood tests suggesting she had experienced a heart attack, information Rachael stated the family was unaware of. She added, “We still don’t know if she did or if she didn’t, because the hospital are now refusing to answer my questions.” Furthermore, the records indicate that on the night of Lilian’s death, around 22:00, night staff signed off on checks at 00:30, 03:30, and 06:30 the following morning. This has led Rachael to suspect that staff completed the form at the beginning of their shift to avoid subsequent checks on Lilian. Rachael remarked, “This was heart-breaking as my gran was very anxious so to think of her on her own shouting for help and not getting any is awful.” The records additionally revealed that although emergency department staff documented Lilian’s capacity for independent decision-making, a Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) nurse subsequently sought a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards order. An evaluation concluded that Lilian did not require this, yet subsequent reports from Erddig ward staff referenced such an order being active. Rachael stated that she, her mother, father, and uncle all held power of attorney but were not informed. In July, Rachael held a meeting with the health board following her complaint regarding her grandmother’s care. She claimed they attempted to “gloss over” the issues and assured her they would “look into it,” but after 11 weeks, they informed her they would not be addressing her inquiries. Rachael characterized the hospital’s communication and documentation as “really bad,” frequently misstating Lilian’s name and personal information. Rachael expressed, “This has taken over – just waiting – it’s been over a year now since my gran died, and we’ve still not got all of the answers.” She continued, “It is very difficult to grieve when you don’t really know what’s happened – they didn’t tell us anything when she was in hospital, and now they’re refusing to tell us after she’s died.” Carol Shillabeer, chief executive of Betsi, issued a statement: “On behalf of the Health Board I sincerely apologise to Ms Evans’ family for the failures identified in her care and treatment, we fell short of the standard that should be expected.” The matter has been escalated to the ombudsman, who has been contacted for a statement. This report was updated on December 11, 2024, to include additional information regarding the departments involved in Lilian Evans’ case.