Trust did not try hard enough to contact a woman whose husband had just died

What happened

Mr B was admitted to the Trust in 2013. He was treated for a lung infection and was discharged home. He was readmitted a few weeks later but died in hospital soon after. Mrs B complained about her husband being discharged without support; the use of the end of life pathway and discussions about it; the lack of oxygen offered to her husband; and failure to notify her when he died.

What we found

The Trust had said it had tried to contact Mrs B on the morning of her husband's death, but we found no evidence of this. Mrs B only found out that her husband had died when she telephoned the ward, which was very upsetting for her.

There was no failure in the use of the pathway or discussions surrounding it or the administration of oxygen.

Putting it right

The Trust apologised to Mrs B for the distress caused. It said it will raise awareness among staff of the need to follow its own guidelines. It will also carry out regular audits of nursing documentation to ensure compliance with this and with Nursing and Midwifery Council guidance.