A beloved great grandmother who was 'ready to go home' tragically died after suffering two falls at a Birmingham hospital, an inquest has heard. Janet McCabe, 82, from Bordesley Green, was recovering from a major hip operation at Good Hope Hospital when she sustained a painful fracture during the first incident in November.
The mother of three, described as 'a fighter' by her family, told them she had fallen and that a healthcare assistant (HCA) fell on top of her. The HCA did not report the incident, later claiming it was a 'near miss'. Before the fall, Mrs McCabe was making good progress and her family expected her home within days. Mobility aids had been delivered to her home in Malvern, but she never returned.
In December, she suffered a further dislocation when she slipped from a chair. She later contracted influenza A and hospital-acquired pneumonia, and her condition worsened. She was placed on end-of-life care on January 21 and died the next day.
Area Coroner Adam Hodson recorded a narrative conclusion, stating: 'It is clear that the falls did contribute to her death. I find that Janet was a strong and determined woman and, as a consequence of the incident and subsequent fall a month later, it meant she lost a chance of having a better outcome and returning home to her family.'
Her daughter, Helen Bagnall, told the coroner: 'She would have come home, she was coming home. We had all the equipment delivered to the farm. Had she been home, she never would have caught the flu.'
Mrs McCabe's cause of death was pneumonia and pulmonary embolism, contributed to by a long-standing periprosthetic joint infection, fracture and dislocations secondary to falls, along with Parkinson's and asthma. The inquest heard that the hospital had recommended two staff members to aid her when mobilising due to her high risk of falling, but on November 5, only one HCA was present.
The coroner noted there were 'two versions of something going on,' but the investigation was hampered because the incident was not reported at the time. Mrs McCabe told her family she was asked not to say anything for fear of the person getting into trouble. Senior sister Catherine Hough conducted an internal investigation and said the staff member did not believe a reportable incident occurred. The HCA was initially suspended but reinstated.
Mr Hodson concluded there were 'deficiencies in care' as recommendations were not followed and the incident was not reported. He added that the trust had recognised these deficiencies and acted upon them. Consultant Omer Salar, Mrs McCabe's surgeon, said: 'I thought she was remarkable for fighting that long against such adverse conditions. I'm very sorry we weren't able to pull her through.'
In a tribute, Mrs Bagnall said: 'She was the matriarch of the family. She would have fought tooth and nail for any one of us. She was very much loved and highly thought of.'
BirminghamLive has contacted University Hospitals Birmingham for comment.
