Wantage: Great-granddad ‘failed’ as CPR delayed after DNR error, family demand answers
In a cramped hospital ward, relatives say an 82-year-old great-grandfather was left alone as staff delayed life-saving treatment; the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust has admitted an error that led to a five-minute delay in starting CPR and has apologised — wantage.
What happened on Stambridge Ward?
Barrie Gilbert, 82, from Canvey, suffered a cardiac arrest and died on September 6 last year. In a letter to the family the trust admitted staff did not begin CPR on Mr Gilbert until five minutes after he stopped breathing because they had “incorrectly presumed” he had a do not resuscitate order. The letter states that the nursing team “had viewed incorrect patient notes and this meant that there was a delay of approximately five minutes prior to starting CPR. “
The same correspondence notes a nine-hour gap in observations and that a single dose of antibiotics had not been given to Mr Gilbert.
Wantage: What has the trust admitted and apologised for?
The Mid and South Essex NHS Trust has apologised to Barrie’s family and promised learning will be taken “to prevent this from happening again. ” The ward matron’s letter to the family set out that “an incorrect escalation process was followed by the nursing team as they had incorrectly presumed that Mr Gilbert had a do not attempt resuscitation order in place when he had not. ” The same letter records that the nursing team had viewed incorrect patient notes, contributing to the delay.
An inquest into Mr Gilbert’s death has been set for May 29. The family say they are exploring legal action in response to his treatment.
What are the family’s next steps and how are they responding?
Mr Gilbert’s son, Chris Gilbert, voiced sharp criticism of the care his father received. He said: “He didn’t receive the right treatment, he didn’t receive CPR when he should have because they mixed up his notes. It was negligence, that’s the only word. He did not deserve to be cast aside, literally forgotten and alone to die at the end of a cold and harsh ward. “
Chris added: “He was a hero to his eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, we are left with the horrific knowledge that he was completely and utterly failed by the staff. No amount of training modules can compensate for what happened, the staff who were on shift that night are not fit for purpose. ” The family statement and the letter from the ward matron form the core of the dispute as the family seeks answers ahead of the inquest and weighs possible legal action.
Back in the ward where the events unfolded, relatives say their certainty about routine checks and prompt escalation has been shaken. The trust’s apology and the promise of learning have been recorded, but those words have not yet answered the family’s demand for explanation and accountability.
As the inquest date approaches and questions of process remain unresolved, the family continue to press for clarity about the nine-hour gap in observations, the missed antibiotic dose, and how incorrect notes came to be acted on. The story closes where it began: in that ward, with relatives remembering a man they call a hero, and waiting for the formal review to say whether the failings identified will be enough to change practice and prevent a repeat. wantage
