Two died after ‘catching superbug on same ward’ (From Echo)

Inquest hears of man who died at Basildon Hospital

7:50am Wednesday 9th November 2011 in News By Jon Austin

Two died after ‘catching superbug on same ward’

A MAN who was admitted to Basildon Hospital suffering deep vein thrombosis contracted two killer diseases and then died, an inquest heard.

James Compton, 74, of Kings Way, Billericay, is believed to have caught legionnaires disease while being treated at the hospital, but was discharged before medical staff realised.

He returned with breathing difficulties and tested positive for legionnaires.

He later contracted the superbug clostridium difficile. He died on June 24, 2007.

Allegations of failures in patient care are under the spotlight at the inquest into the deaths of Mr Compton and Raymond Clackett, 54, from South Ockendon. They both contracted legionnaires disease after stays on the Stanford ward, before their deaths three years apart.

The inquest, which began yesterday at Chelmsford County Hall, heard Mr Compton appeared fit and healthy in late 2006, but developed deep vein thrombosis.

By April 2007, he was admitted to the hospital with a spell on Stanford ward.

It was discovered he had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer.

He was discharged on May 14 to undergo chemotherapy, but was re-admitted, this time on to the Fleming ward nine days later with breathing problems.

He tested positive for legionnaires, and appeared to respond to antibiotics, before going downhill.

In a statement read to the jury, his widow Joyce described his room in Fleming ward as shabby with no sink or toilet.

She said: “There were 26 people on the ward, mostly elderly, and only two commodes.

“It was disgustingly dirty, there was faeces on the bath and commode.”

She said it was cleaned only after she complained and a medic asked her to keep quiet about the legionnaires disease.

She said her husband spent his final days in agony.

She added: “He was not one to complain, but cried out ‘please help me, please help me’.

“My son-in-law tried to get help, but was told they were on a change over and he would get seen when he could.

“For three quarters of an hour he was crying in agony.

“The impression I got was they could not be bothered toward the end, because he was not eating food.”

On the day he died, she said the family was told to go into his room without warning.

She said: “We even tried to wake him. After two hours, two medics came in and said he had to go to the mortuary. There were no condolences. Even now it makes me sick.”