Coroner to write to hospital bosses over staffing level concerns

A three-day inquiry into the death of Margaret Gleeson at the hospital last October heard several clinical staff members say they were worried about weekend working, with one consultant saying doctors “can’t give patients the attention they deserve” on Saturdays and Sundays

Assistant coroner Simon Jones will also ask for extra training on the early warning scores system used by nurses after staff members apologised for filling these in wrongly while caring for Mrs Gleeson.

However, Bolton Coroner’s Court also heard the failings in Mrs Gleeson’s treatment did not amount to neglect.

The inquest was told the 70-year-old from Swinley had a hernia operation on October 2 last year and developed a rare complication.

Her condition deteriorated the following day and she developed sepsis before a CT scan revealed bubbles where the operation had been performed.

She returned to the operating theatre for further surgery but sadly did not recover and died at 7pm on October 4.

Giving his conclusion, Mr Jones said: “Mrs Gleeson went into hospital for a routine operation in a healthy condition.

“In the vast majority of cases she would have come home but she did not and that is a genuine tragedy.”

Lawyer Stephen Jones, representing Mrs Gleeson’s family, said after the inquest that the care given to her was of an unacceptable standard even if it did not amount to neglect.