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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Royal Victoria Hospital: Woman tells of mother's A&E distress | Royal Victoria Hospital: Woman tells of mother's A&E distress |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A woman whose mother died at a Belfast hospital has said her family feel let down by the National Health Service. | A woman whose mother died at a Belfast hospital has said her family feel let down by the National Health Service. |
| Her mother was one of five patients at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital's A&E who may have died partly because they were not treated quickly enough. | Her mother was one of five patients at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital's A&E who may have died partly because they were not treated quickly enough. |
| The Belfast trust informed her that a "serious adverse incident" had contributed to the 80-year-old's death. | The Belfast trust informed her that a "serious adverse incident" had contributed to the 80-year-old's death. |
| Health Minister Edwin Poots is to brief the Northern Ireland Executive about the matter on Thursday afternoon. | |
| Speaking ahead of the meeting, he said: "Our job is to ensure we learn from those incidents and to do our best to make sure systems are in place to minimise the chance of them happening again." | |
| Mr Poots will also brief ministerial colleagues on an inspection report carried out by the regulatory body, the RQIA. | |
| Earlier, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride apologised to the families of those who died. | |
| Three of the families involved were not fully informed of all the details of the deaths. | Three of the families involved were not fully informed of all the details of the deaths. |
| Stormont's health committee heard that, in four cases, contact had been made with the coroner. | Stormont's health committee heard that, in four cases, contact had been made with the coroner. |
| The woman told the BBC's Nolan Show on Wednesday that her mother - who has not been named for privacy reasons - had fallen and suffered a head injury. | The woman told the BBC's Nolan Show on Wednesday that her mother - who has not been named for privacy reasons - had fallen and suffered a head injury. |
| She said the hospital had been very busy on the night her mother attended. | She said the hospital had been very busy on the night her mother attended. |
| "My mum had been left sitting for hours in A&E," she said. "She had been triaged but that had been done incorrectly," she said. | "My mum had been left sitting for hours in A&E," she said. "She had been triaged but that had been done incorrectly," she said. |
| "She had been left for some time. We feel that because she had been left for so long, that may have contributed to her death. | "She had been left for some time. We feel that because she had been left for so long, that may have contributed to her death. |
| "My family are completely devastated by the death of my mum. It has left us feeling somewhat cautious, or maybe untrusting, in relation to the national health service." | "My family are completely devastated by the death of my mum. It has left us feeling somewhat cautious, or maybe untrusting, in relation to the national health service." |
| The woman said her family's experience in other parts of the hospital had been very different. | The woman said her family's experience in other parts of the hospital had been very different. |
| "We know my mum deserved a lot better. She didn't get the care she deserved," she said. | "We know my mum deserved a lot better. She didn't get the care she deserved," she said. |
| "We would stress that our experience of A&E on that occasion was not reflective of my mum's treatment and care when she went to the neurosurgery ward on the Royal. Her care there was absolutely outstanding." | "We would stress that our experience of A&E on that occasion was not reflective of my mum's treatment and care when she went to the neurosurgery ward on the Royal. Her care there was absolutely outstanding." |
| Earlier, Northern Ireland's first minister Peter Robinson indicated his support for health minister Edwin Poots over his handling of problems at the Royal. | Earlier, Northern Ireland's first minister Peter Robinson indicated his support for health minister Edwin Poots over his handling of problems at the Royal. |
| Mr Poots said Northern Ireland hospitals were "performing safely" and denied there was a crisis. | Mr Poots said Northern Ireland hospitals were "performing safely" and denied there was a crisis. |
| Mr Robinson said Mr Poots had a "very difficult task". | Mr Robinson said Mr Poots had a "very difficult task". |
| "I very much support Edwin", he said. | "I very much support Edwin", he said. |
| "I also see his absolute determination to get to the bottom of these issues. | "I also see his absolute determination to get to the bottom of these issues. |
| "I make this very clear, if Edwin comes to the executive on the basis of advice from professionals within his department and indicates that the issue is about finance, then my hand will go up to give him whatever support he requires." | "I make this very clear, if Edwin comes to the executive on the basis of advice from professionals within his department and indicates that the issue is about finance, then my hand will go up to give him whatever support he requires." |
| Mortality rates | Mortality rates |
| Chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride told the health committee on Wednesday that three of the five "serious adverse incidents" at the Royal were still undergoing investigation, and one of those was subject to independent review. | Chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride told the health committee on Wednesday that three of the five "serious adverse incidents" at the Royal were still undergoing investigation, and one of those was subject to independent review. |
| Speaking on the BBC's Nolan Show on Thursday, Dr McBride said the families "should have been advised, should have been informed". | Speaking on the BBC's Nolan Show on Thursday, Dr McBride said the families "should have been advised, should have been informed". |
| "Measuring how many people died is a very crude measure of the quality of care, and also of the experience of that care," he said. | "Measuring how many people died is a very crude measure of the quality of care, and also of the experience of that care," he said. |
| "We need to listen to what patients are telling us about their experiences of care." | "We need to listen to what patients are telling us about their experiences of care." |
| Dr McBride said Northern Ireland did not have more serious adverse incidents than elsewhere in the UK. | Dr McBride said Northern Ireland did not have more serious adverse incidents than elsewhere in the UK. |
| "I have no evidence to suggest that the number of serious adverse incidents or the ratio of people who come to harm in our A&E departments or any other part of our system is any different from other parts of the UK," he said. | "I have no evidence to suggest that the number of serious adverse incidents or the ratio of people who come to harm in our A&E departments or any other part of our system is any different from other parts of the UK," he said. |
| Dr McBride said there was a shortage of medical staff across the UK with 50% of posts being vacant. | Dr McBride said there was a shortage of medical staff across the UK with 50% of posts being vacant. |
| "We have to make it more attractive for people to come into emergency medicine and stay in emergency medicine," he said. | "We have to make it more attractive for people to come into emergency medicine and stay in emergency medicine," he said. |
| Meanwhile, the chief executive of the Belfast Health Trust, Colm Donaghy, said lessons would be learned. | |
| "We are very keen that our clinicians and staff continue to identify these incidents to us so that we can learn from them, so that we can ensure that the learning that takes place makes improvement in our system," he said. | |
| 'Excellent care' | 'Excellent care' |
| On Wednesday, Mr Poots told the committee that A&E departments in Northern Ireland performed better, and that mortality rates were better, than those in England. | On Wednesday, Mr Poots told the committee that A&E departments in Northern Ireland performed better, and that mortality rates were better, than those in England. |
| He said: "We should stop damning our emergency departments because they respond very, very well to people and they provide excellent care to people. | He said: "We should stop damning our emergency departments because they respond very, very well to people and they provide excellent care to people. |
| "It may well be that our staff and our emergency departments and our hospitals are actually carrying out their work more thoroughly, which may deliver poorer waiting times but deliver better outcomes. | "It may well be that our staff and our emergency departments and our hospitals are actually carrying out their work more thoroughly, which may deliver poorer waiting times but deliver better outcomes. |
| "We have better outcomes than the average across all of the English hospitals in our hospitals here in Northern Ireland. | "We have better outcomes than the average across all of the English hospitals in our hospitals here in Northern Ireland. |
| "That's the important message... that we actually have lower mortality rates than the English hospitals. | "That's the important message... that we actually have lower mortality rates than the English hospitals. |
| "That is a very very important message that the public need to hear, hospitals in Northern Ireland are performing safely." | "That is a very very important message that the public need to hear, hospitals in Northern Ireland are performing safely." |