Son wanted hospital apology after mum's death

The son of a pensioner who fell and died in care says he has been refused an apology from a hospital trust despite his claims he has received a cash pay-out.

Martin Wilde’s mother Marjorie Wilde, 87, of Annesley Close, Hasland, Chesterfield, had been admitted to Chesterfield Royal Hospital after a fall at home and according to a Chesterfield coroner’s court inquest she suffered another fall in the hospital and passed away two weeks later on June 22, 2011.

Assistant Coroner for Derbyshire Paul McCandless was satisfied the cause of death, which was a haemorrhage, was due to the hospital fall but stressed assessments had been focussed and he recorded the death as accidental.

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Martin Wilde argued his mother should never have been allowed out of bed unsupervised and has been pursuing legal advice since the inquest in 2014.

However, Mr Wilde claims to have received a letter on May 4 confirming the hospital had agreed to pay £100,000 in legal costs over the matter and had also issued him with a cheque for £2,500 but refused to offer an apology.

Mr Wilde said: “They could have given me a million pounds but all I have ever wanted was an apology.”

Lynn Andrews, Director of Nursing & Patient Care at the hospital trust, said: “The Trust extends its deepest sympathies to Mr Wilde and family. Mrs Wilde’s care at Chesterfield Royal Hospital in 2011 resulted in legal proceedings that have taken some time to resolve, so we are pleased that an agreement acceptable to all parties has now been reached. We are sorry Mr Wilde feels there are still issues that have not been settled and appreciate this will be disappointing for him. We remain satisfied there were no failings in the standard of care Mrs Wilde received from the hospital, which was evidenced by an independent expert and considered during the complaint investigation and at HM Corner’s inquest.”