A Birmingham family says they have achieved 'justice' for their 85-year-old mother after she went to hospital with a swollen foot but never returned home. Mary Breen, from Erdington, died on November 2 last year after falling during treatment at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.
Her family told an inquest that the mother and grandmother lived independently and was 'fully capable of looking after herself and her dog'. The Birmingham City fan was in 'good health' before she was admitted to Good Hope, they said.
A coroner this week attributed her death to natural causes contributed to by injuries sustained from a fall. She had gone to hospital with a swollen foot, thought to be cellulitis, last October. But she suffered a fractured femur—which was not detected for several days—in a fall on a ward. After the discovery, Mrs Breen was moved to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where she underwent successful surgery on her fracture.
However, Birmingham Coroner's Court heard she tested positive for Covid and her condition deteriorated into sepsis. She died from hospital-acquired pneumonia, caused by Covid and a fractured femur, assistant coroner Ian Dreelan concluded.
After the inquest, Mrs Breen's daughter Lorraine Tabb told BirminghamLive she was 'glad' the ordeal was over. She said: 'I'm just glad it's over. I can get on now. I can get back to normal because I've been stressed. We've got justice for our mum. My mum couldn't speak, we were her voice.'
Her brother, Steven Phelan, added: 'On that day she said "come and get me". She said they put me in a wheelchair, I'm in pain.'
Mrs Breen's son Mark told the inquest: 'Mum was not one to make a fuss and just got on with life. However, in October, my brother found her foot was swollen, but she wouldn't go to the hospital, such was our mum. My wife and I came to Birmingham and talked to mum and said the hospital would look after her with the swollen foot. We took her to the hospital, and we waited and waited. She was admitted, and they said they would look after her.'
Mark said days later, the hospital rang to say she could be discharged. But he went on: 'Then I got another call to say mum had fallen and she was not in a good place. All I want to say is that before my mum was admitted to the hospital, she was in good health and things like that, but nothing that would keep her in the hospital until the accident.'
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said: 'We are very sorry for the distress experienced by Mrs Breen's family and offer our sincere condolences for their loss. HM Coroner concluded that Mrs Breen sadly died from natural causes. We recognise, however, that the family has ongoing concerns and remain committed to listening to them and responding fully through the appropriate channels.'
