5:00pm Tuesday 10th June 2008
By Alexandra Barham
A HOSPITAL has stopped performing transfusions overnight after a St Albans man was given the wrong blood type, an inquest has heard.
William Clark, 91, who was known as Bill by family and friends, was knocked unconcious and taken to Hemel Hempstead Hospital when he accidentally fell on a patio at his home in Cottonmill Lane in August, last year.
As doctors treated his cuts and bruises, they found he had cystitus, a bladder infection, and prescribed him anti-biotics.
But the medication weakened his immune system making him susceptible to deadly superbugs.
Bill's age and long battle with Parkinson's disease also made him vulnerable to the risk of infection.
When he began showing symptoms of diarrhoea bug Clostridum difficile, also known as C. diff, he was transferred to an isolated ward, but his condition continued to deteriorate and he died on September 2.
The coroner said the manner in which a blood transfusion was organised had not contributed to Bill's death.
He said the mistake was human error, but welcomed news that transfusions would stop at 7pm unless a patient was critically ill.
"Errors happen," he said.
"We are all human, we all make mistakes.
"The response to this mistake was telling the family, getting doctors involved and dealing with it. That's what happened in this case."
"Mistakes are often made at night when perhaps there's less staff who are more under pressure if something unexpected happens."
Speaking after the verdict, Bill's son Mark, said: "This isn't a witch hunt, we appreciate the care he did receive in Hemel Hempstead Hospital from doctors and nurses.
"We wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else and we are glad that policies have changed."
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