A WOMAN died after she was left “fending for herself” on a hospital trolley in the corridor of an A&E for 10 hours, an inquest has heard.
Tamara Davis, 31, was left coughing up blood and was “abandoned in her most vulnerable moment” when she died of sepsis in December 2022.
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She had been rushed to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton after complaining of breathing difficulties.
Tamara was subsequently placed in a side room and given oxygen, but was later moved into a corridor when another patient needed the room.
Despite her condition becoming progressively worse, she was left on a trolley in the busy corridor.
At one stage there were 20 patients being treated in the hospital corridor.
Eventually a medical team was called and she was rushed through to intensive care, but she later died.
An inquest today heard she had been failed by a healthcare system stretched to the limit.
Joanne Andrews, West Sussex coroner, also said she was going to write to the Department of Health and NHS England to voice her concerns over the use of corridors in the treatment of patients.
Recording a conclusion of death by natural causes, she said: “In relation to the use of corridors this does to me create a substantial concern.”
But she added: “There is no evidence of the patient having been placed in a corridor caused or contributed to her death in these circumstances.’
The inquest earlier heard Tamara had been “abandoned” by a healthcare system stretched to the limit.
In a statement read to the court, Tamara’s sister Miya said: “‘In the few hours [she was in A&E] she was being made to fend for herself.
“She was abandoned in that corridor at her most vulnerable moments, coughing up blood and suffering from diarrhoea.”
Dr Andrew Leonard, the consultant who treated Tamara in the corridor, said: “Anyone being looked after in a corridor is a concern because it is a failure of normal care processes.”
He said the statements from the family about how they felt Tamara had been failed were “heartbreaking”.
The doctor added: “Unfortunately we live in a world where more corridor care has become increasingly the norm in the last few years and that is a tragedy and not something any doctor or nurse would say is a good idea but is a result of pressures on the system.”
He said he was “unhappy” Tamara had to receive treatment in a corridor, but added that there was “nowhere else to put patients”.
Tamara had been suffering from cold-like symptoms and breathing difficulties before she collapsed at home on the evening of December 10, 2022.
Her partner Raphael Ifil desperately called 999 five times to try and get an emergency ambulance.
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But after failing, he got a friend to drive Tamara the three miles to Royal Sussex County Hospital.
She was admitted at 11.14pm and immediately taken through to a resuscitation cubicle in A&E, where she was given oxygen.
But when her vital signs improved and another patient needed the room at 5.30am, she was wheeled out on the trolley into the corridor.
Tamara then spent the next 10 hours on the trolley with other sick patients all around her, the inquest heard.
She had been diagnosed with severe flu and, although she was given antibiotics, paracetamol and IV fluids, a second dose of antibiotics she was due to receive was missed by medics.
Her condition continued to deteriorate throughout the day and she began to cough up blood and suffered diarrhoea.
Her sister Miya had to help her to the toilet and because there was none available and she had to change her soiled sheets.
Tamara’s condition continued to worsen throughout the day and she was eventually taken into back into a resuscitation room.
She was then transferred to an intensive care bed, where she was placed on a ventilator.
Alice Edmondson, a senior nurse on duty at the time, said: “We’d never move anyone to a corridor out of choice. Nobody should be nursed in a corridor.
“I really want the family to know that I as a senior nurse feel upset every day that people are in the corridor when they shouldn’t be.”
Tamara’s condition deteriorated in intensive care and she died from sepsis and multiple organ failure on December 13.
Her cause of death was given as sepsis and multiple organ failure brought on by broncho-pneumonia and influenza.
Her heartbroken family have previously said Tamara was “failed” by the hospital and died after ‘disgusting’ treatment.
They say Tamara had been left without “dignity” and said the care she received was “dreadful”.
Speaking after the inquest, Miya said: “It was like a warzone. It was terrible in there.
“A hospital is somewhere where you are meant to feel safe if you’re sick but that hospital was anything but.”
Tamsin’s partner Raphael added: “She was failed by a broken system. It was absolutely shocking. There was an absolute failure in the duty of care.”
He continued: “She was an amazing person, very strong and very loyal. She would try and help anyone at all. She was my world.”
Maggie Davies, chief nurse, said: “We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to Miss Davis’ family and friends.
“We entirely accept that the experience Tamara, and her family, had in the ED corridor before admission to intensive care fell short of the standards our patients and families should expect – that is a matter of deep regret, and we are truly sorry.
“We also acknowledge the coroner’s concerns about the provision of corridor care, and we are committed to working with partners to continue to try to resolve this issue for patients and families.”
Dr Andy Heeps, Chief Operating Officer at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, also previously said: “I cannot publicly discuss Tamara’s care, but in general terms it is undoubtedly the case that our staff sometimes have to work under significant pressure, in difficult circumstances, but they will always do their very best to give care, compassion and dignity to their patients.”
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