Coroner records verdict on death of Mark Holland of St Ambrose Road, Widnes

Jul 28 2011 by Oliver Clay, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

SHOCKWAVES have rocked a hospital after the death of a Widnes patient.

An inquest at Bolton heard last week that Mark Holland, 24, of St Ambrose Road, died at Salford Royal on July 18 because of neglect while under the care of Dr Stephen Waldek.

Mark died in intensive care after two heart attacks.

He had not received vital fluids despite his family’s advice and treatment information in his emergency protocol.

His progress was not monitored, fluid charts were ‘inadequate or missing’ and no staff had weighed him.

Mark had been admitted a week earlier with a flare-up of propionic acidemia, a rare metabolic condition he had suffered since birth.

Coroner Jennifer Leeming recorded a verdict last Wednesday that Mark died of ‘natural causes contributed to by neglect’.

Relatives said they pleaded with the doctor for the correct treatment. Mark’s brother Chris claims the staff ‘didn’t have a clue’.

Dr Waldek was the only consultant assigned to metabolic conditions and the family could not ask for a second opinion.

It was the first time Mark had been seen at Salford Royal since he was transferred from Alder Hey when he turned 18.

The incident has prompted a major overhaul of Salford Royal’s metabolic conditions care.

Dr Waldek, who is also Salford Royal executive medical director, resigned last Monday and the hospital has pledged to build a multi-million pound metabolic unit.

Two specialist consultants have been appointed to the unit with two more to be recruited later this year.

The centre will be dedicated to Mark and could be named after him. The coroner has also asked secretary of state for health Andrew Lansley to review metabolic treatment and the collaboration between paediatric and adult care.

Mark’s mother Pauline said: “There was a catalogue of errors.

“We tried to tell the consultant that Mark should be treated by a glucose drip for 48 hours then moved onto total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and that’s where the staff failed.”

The hospital has admitted liability.

David Dalton, Salford Royal Foundation Trust chief executive, said: “The trust has formally apologised to the Holland family for the failings in the care provided while Mr Holland was a patient at the trust and we wish to reaffirm this apology today.

“We hope that our internal investigation and the improvements we have already implemented will provide the family with some comfort and reassurance.

“We fully accept the coroner’s verdict and our team will continue to remain accessible to the Holland family.”