Inquest: Woman’s Death Followed Private Hip Surgery

An inquest has been informed that a 79-year-old woman, Gwynneth Exall of Swansea, “would not have died” at the time she did if she had not undergone a hip operation at a private hospital, where she experienced complications. Ms. Exall passed away from cardiac arrest on April 28, 2022, one day following her hip replacement procedure at the Nuffield Health Vale Hospital. Her decision to pursue private medical care was motivated by a desire to circumvent NHS waiting lists for surgery. David Exall, her son, testified at the Pontypridd hearing, expressing his conviction that his mother’s death “could have been avoided” with more prompt intervention, and noting that staff “did not appear to know what was happening” as her health declined. In a submitted statement, Mr. Exall recounted that paramedics raised their voices at personnel within the private hospital in Pontyclun, Rhondda Cynon Taf, due to their “frustrated at their inaction.” He further stated that a paramedic informed him of “significant concerns” regarding his mother’s care, indicating an intention to report these issues. “I felt the doctors had given up on my mother,” he additionally remarked. Following unsuccessful efforts to elevate Ms. Exall’s low blood pressure at the private hospital, she suffered a cardiac arrest and was subsequently moved to Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales, where her death occurred. Professor Richard Attanoos, the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem examination, concluded that Ms. Exall “would not have died when she died had she not had surgery.” The inquest was informed that Ms. Exall had previously received cardiology treatment, but an evaluation determined she was suitable for the surgical procedure. Dr. Michael Cronin, the surgeon who performed the operation, characterized the procedure as “low risk” and stated he had “no concerns” upon seeing her later that same day. On the morning following the surgery, Ms. Exall’s blood pressure decreased, and an early warning score (EWS) – a system used to gauge a patient’s illness severity – suggested a rapid decline in her condition was probable. However, certain medical practitioners informed the inquest that they were not aware of this score and would have responded differently had they possessed this information. Dr. Madhwapathi Sudhaka, the anaesthetist for the procedure, stated that although “everything was done by the book” during the surgery, he would have contacted 999 at the time the EWS score was recorded, approximately six hours prior to the eventual escalation of the situation. Dr. Subramaniam Balachandran, the anaesthetist present on the day of Ms. Exall’s death, informed the inquest that her symptoms did not suggest an impending cardiac arrest, but noted that the private hospital was “not equipped to deal with acute deteriorations.” The inquest remains ongoing.