Doctors did not treat heart attack patient appropriately

Mr R was taken to hospital by ambulance and doctors diagnosed that he had had a small to moderate heart attack. He remained in hospital for several hours before doctors identified that his health was worsening and arranged to transfer him to the local cardiac centre. Mr R died at the cardiac centre shortly after he arrived.

What we found

We upheld this complaint. Mr R had actually suffered a large heart attack followed by a cardiogenic shock. He was clinically unstable and needed urgent specialist treatment, but doctors at the hospital did not identify this. Mr R's transfer should have happened more quickly. These failings fell significantly short of established good practice.

While Mr R might have had a slightly better chance of living longer if the failings had not happened, we could not say for sure that he would have survived his illness. But, even if there was only a small chance of survival, perhaps only for one or two days, Mr R was denied even that opportunity. His partner will never know whether treatment would have extended his life. This uncertainty is a source of continuing distress to his partner.

Putting it right

The Trust acknowledged and apologised for its failings. It also put plans in place to learn from what had happened.