The partner of a woman who died after hours spent in an A&E corridor says he has no faith in the hospital and likened it to a warzone.
Tamara Davis, from Hollingdean, died in intensive care on December 13, 2022, of multiple organ failure and sepsis brought on by influenza, at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
At an inquest on Monday in Horsham, area coroner Joanne Andrews concluded the 31-year-old’s death was of natural causes and that there was no evidence that being placed in the hospital corridor for ten hours contributed to her death.
However the coroner expressed her “substantial concern” over the use of corridors and said she would be writing to the Department of Health and NHS England over the ongoing problem in a prevention of future deaths report.
Following the conclusion, Miss Davis’s partner of seven years Raphael Ifill said the care she received at the hospital was “absolutely shocking”, with the family having to change the bed sheets.
He said she was let down by the hospital.
It was heard during the inquest Miss Davis suffered from diarrhoea and was coughing up blood into a small bowl in the corridor.
Mr Ifill said the situation was “horrific”.
“We shouldn’t be changing bed sheets, we shouldn’t be carrying her to the toilet,” he said.
“She felt abandoned. She felt alone.
“If I fall sick in Brighton I’ve got no faith to go to that hospital.
“I’m scared to got to hospital from that experience.
“I’m terrified.
“They could’ve done so much more.
“It was like a war zone. It still is now.”
“We all know there’s serious failings at that institute.
“It feels really bad in there.”
Tamara’s sister Miya Davis said the atmosphere in the hospital is “horrible”.
“You’re supposed to walk into hospital and think this is where I feel safe to be unwell but there’s none of that,” she said.
Mr Ifill and Miya paid tribute to Miss Davis.
“She was an amazing person,” they said.
“So loyal.
“She was the loudest in the room even when she was being quiet.
“She loved animals and she loved kids.
“She would try to help anyone.
“She was good at reading people.”
Mr Ifill added: “She was my world.
“I don’t want this to ever happen to anyone else or any family to have to go through what we went through.”
Following the inquest, Maggie Davies, chief nurse at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex, apologised to Miss Davis's family.
“We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to Miss Davis’s family and friends," she said.
"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."
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