Date: 8th September 2006
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

Island MP Andrew Turner has called for the Coroner to investigate the death of Margaret Hartmann at St Mary’s after her care fell below “acceptable standards”, and is collating examples of similar deaths with a view to raising the matter with Ministers.

In a letter to the Coroner, Mr Turner says,

“I am disturbed at the number of examples of elderly people dying following failures of care in local hospitals which are being drawn to my attention. I would be grateful if you could let me know whether the circumstances of Mrs Hartmann’s death were brought to your attention, and if so why no inquest into her death took place. Going without food or water for 36 hours would affect the health of any elderly or infirm person, and people will want to know whether that contributed to her death.”

He added later,

“I was already concerned about this and other deaths, in mainland hospitals as well as St Mary’s, which followed failures of care. When I heard Ian Mac’s moving description of the death of his father on Isle of Wight Radio, and the number of similar frightening examples which listeners phoned in, I determined that I must collate these examples and see whether they formed a pattern.

“I hope people will let me have details of these cases so that I consider raising questions of patient neglect in Parliament. Individual doctors and nurses don’t intend to neglect patients, but they are so stretched that they cannot provide the right quality of care and a perception has developed that elderly patients are expendable.”

END

Contact: Andrew Turner 01983 530808