Wigan pensioner choked to death on hospital sandwich - son's anger as death ruled an accident

Darren Heyes said he was “shocked and bewildered” that health chiefs were not criticised for “technical cock-ups” which, had they not happened, may have meant his dad Jeffrey would still be alive today. The hearing at Bolton Coroner’s Court was told that an alarm summoning medics to help the 75-year-old did not work properly, meaning emergency help didn’t know which ward he was on, and an anti-choking machine’s battery was flat.

By the time doctors and a replacement device arrived at the patient’s bedside it was, tragically, too late. Darren is also angry that his father, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, had been allowed to eat the sandwich unsupervised.

Expressing sympathies, hospital chiefs say an action plan has since been implemented to address care delivery issues. The inquest heard it was a phlebotomist working on the ward where former plasterer Mr Heyes was being treated who raised the alarm after seeing he was gagging.

She hit an emergency help alarm but while it alerted staff, there was a technical problem which meant the location of the patient was not identified. An anti-choking device was also deployed but it wasn’t working properly and so a second one had to be sent for, again costing precious time.

Father-of-two Mr Heyes had been a resident of Brown Court sheltered accommodation in Pemberton where he had carers visiting him to help him with his daily needs.

Darren said: “He only went into Wigan Infirmary with a water infection and after a couple of days they were saying he would be well enough to go home by the end of the week. But at lunchtime on Tuesday January 10 he was found choking on his lunch.

"He had Parkinson’s, he had difficulty eating. Why wasn’t someone monitoring him? This wasn't the first time. I’d gone in to see him one afternoon and he had a bread hanging out of the corner of his mouth. When I opened it it was full of food. I told the nurses but they didn’t seem interested.

"So when the phlebotomist found him choking, she shouted for nurses, then the alarm didn’t work properly and the anti-choking device’s battery was flat too. It was a shambles. If there hadn’t been these technical cock-ups my dad might have survived.

"All this was put before the inquest but when the coroner concluded it was accidental death I was shocked and bewildered. So much went wrong. This isn’t the end of it. I’m looking at my legal options.”

Prof Sanjay Arya, Medical Director, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is with sadness that we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Mr Heyes’s family and friends, our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.

“Following the incident, a thorough investigation was conducted, adhering to the highest standards of transparency and accountability. The findings were carefully reviewed, and a comprehensive action plan has been implemented to address any identified care delivery issues. We acknowledge the need for continuous improvement and are fully committed to learning from every aspect of the care provided.

“The trust remains dedicated to delivering the highest standard of care and the safety and well-being of our patients will always be our top priority.”