Hospital neglect contributed to death of much-loved Chesterfield lady

Elizabeth Marjorie Skinner, 67, suffered internal bleeding following an operation at the Calow hospital.

The much-loved 67-year-old, of Bradbury Drive, Wingerworth, died on June 28 last year, four days after undergoing the routine surgery.

Derbyshire's senior coroner, Dr Robert Hunter, identified failings which led to Mrs Skinner's death.

Recording a narative conclusion at Chesterfield coroners' court on Thursday, Dr Hunter said: "Mrs Skinner died from cerebral hypoxia (when the brain is completely deprived of oxygen) due to post-operative intra-abdominal haemorrhage which was significantly contributed to by a failure of effective communication between nursing and medical staff regarding her persistent low blood pressure and a serious underestimation of her clinical condition.

"This resulted in a failure to escalate these issues to senior medical staff where effective treatment, on balance, would have ensured that Mrs Skinner would not have died at the time she did.

"As such her death was contributed to by neglect."

Janet Creswell, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, said a number of changes had been introduced following Mrs Skinner’s death.

These include training and support to help staff identify and manage deteriorating patients as well as measures to improve communication among workers, she told the inquest.

After the inquest, Mrs Skinner’s widower, David Skinner, said: "I was very concerned about her treatment at the hospital and I'm pleased with the coroner's conclusion.

"We'd been together for more than 50 years.

"I loved her to bits and I miss her every single day.

"She was a wonderful person."

Mother and grandmother Mrs Skinner was a library assistant at Chesterfield Library.

She loved her family and friends, reading and caravanning and was an assistant beaver leader with 3rd Wingerworth Scout Group for several years.