Mother dies after swab left in following surgery
An elderly woman died after a swab was left inside her for nine months following surgery at Southend Hospital, the victim's family has revealed.
The woman was initially admitted into hospital after developing severe abdominal pain back in August 2007.
Emergency surgery to remove part of her appendix and her gall bladder appeared successful and the 79-year-old mother-of-six was discharged from hospital to her home, in Pooles Lane, Hullbridge.
Swab left inside mother
But in May 2008, after developing a fever and abdominal pain, she was readmitted to hospital. An X-ray revealed a gauze swab had been left in her abdomen and an abscess had formed.
The swab was then removed and the elderly woman was discharged again in June, but her health deteriorated and she underwent further surgery to remove part of her bowel.
The woman never recovered and died in early January last year.
Her daughter who lives in Central Avenue, Hullbridge, said: "She couldn't wait to get home after the first operation, but she didn't feel well. Then she started to get bad pains again."
Patient develops abscess
She added: "They admitted her and did another operation to remove the swab, but she had developed an abscess and became very ill.
"They gave her a blood transfusion and tried to feed her through a drip, but they couldn't find a vein. In the end they said they couldn't do any more for her and she died shortly afterwards."
Seeking a compensation claim via an injury lawyer firm could help the family, because the cause of the elderly woman's death could be seen as medical negligence.
The woman's grief-stricken husband, who was in his early eighties, died a week after he buried his wife.
Stress affected dad
Their daughter believes that the effects of the woman's death was a factor to her father passing away, she stated: "My dad died when a stomach ulcer burst, but I am sure it was the stress of what happened to mum that caused it. In a way it was a godsend because he didn't want to go on without her."
The daughter furthered: "She was so fit before. I think she would have had another ten years in her if this hadn't happened. It can't be that hard to count the number of swabs used in an operation. It is an absolute disgrace."
Woman's case disclosed
Pathologist David Rouse recorded the cause of death as organ failure. He said death was "not due to natural causes", but appeared to "relate to the pack being left in situ".
The daughter spoke out about her mother's case after reading a report in a newspaper following a Freedom of Information request about three cases of swabs being left in patients at the hospital in 2008, one of whom died. The hospital then confirmed that her mother was the person who died.
Sarah Ballard-Smith, the director of nursing at Southend Hospital, said: "It was an extremely regrettable occurrence.
"Our chief executive John Gilham wrote to the woman's husband in July 2008, giving an explanation of events and apologising fully for the woman's experience and the distress caused."
Updated on 4/7/2010