A coroner has issued a warning on a hospital’s ‘insufficient’ preparations for junior doctor strikes after a 71-year-old died during industrial action.
Coroner Robert Cohen said ‘neglect’ contributed to pensioner Daphne Austin’s death after learning she was one of 25 patients being looked after by just one consultant at an NHS hospital, because colleagues were striking.
Mrs Austin was first admitted to Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, in May last year having suffered a stroke and it later became apparent she had sustained a kidney injury.
During her stay the pensioner became ‘dehydrated’, her glucose levels were poorly controlled, and there was a delay in carrying out blood testing due to strikes, an inquest heard.
On one particular day, Mrs Austin received no ‘medical input’ as hundreds of junior doctors had walked out in a dispute over pay, Mr Cohen said.
Daphne Austin, 71, was first admitted to Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, in May last year having suffered a stroke and it later became apparent she had sustained a kidney injury
Eventually, Mrs Austin’s condition ‘deteriorated’ and she developed life-threatening sepsis.
Despite treatment, Mrs Austin died as a result of that condition the following day.
Now, a coroner has issued a warning on the ‘insufficient’ ability to ensure ‘safe levels of cover’ during industrial action.
Mrs Austin attended Cumberland Infirmary on May 22 last year after suffering a stroke.
It was heard that during a stay, the diabetic’s glucose levels were ‘poorly controlled’ and her fluid balance was not monitored in an ‘effective manner’, leading her to become deydrated.
Some three weeks after being admitted, it became ‘apparent’ that Mrs Austin had sustained an acute kidney injury.
Despite this realisation, monitoring via blood testing was not carried out on the pensioner during the two subsequent days.
Mr Cohen said: ‘It is more likely than not that this was because of industrial action by junior doctors.’
On June 17, nearly four weeks after she was admitted, she developed sepsis.
The coroner said: ‘Neglect — being the ineffective monitoring of Mrs Austin’s fluid balance and the fact that blood testing was not carried out on 15th or 16th June 2023 — contributed to Mrs Austin’s death.’
Junior doctors across North and West Cumbria walked out from Wednesday, June 14 until Saturday, June 17 last year in a dispute over pay.
The young professionals were members of the British Medical Association (BMA) trade union and partook in the industrial action after they demanded an increase in wages.
During an inquest into Mrs Austin’s death, the coroner heard evidence from one of the Trust’s consultants who said that on the day of the strike she had to ‘look after nearly 25 patients’.
For this reason, Mrs Austin ‘did not receive any medical input’ on June 14 due to the junior doctor’s strike.
Mr Cohen said another consultant gave evidence that despite being listed as one of the consultants covering the unit — in the contingency planning evidence — he was ‘probably dealing with other duties on that day’.
‘In the circumstances, I am concerned that the planning that seeks to ensure safe levels of cover during periods of industrial action was insufficient to meet need and that this gave rise to a risk of future deaths,’ he said.
Mr Cohen sent the prevention of future deaths report to the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust and Secretary of State for Health and the British Medical Association, who have 56 days to respond.
The coroner ruled urosepsis and acute kidney injury was the medical cause of death and the conclusion of the inquest was a narrative.
