Son's fury over mum's treatment at hospital

27 November 2009

A MOTHER is fighting for her life in Queen's Hospital's intensive care unit because doctors failed to realise she had three broken ribs and internal bleeding when she was first brought into their care, her son claims.

Richard Lyttle, 41, of Hillrise Road, Collier Row, has this week been seeking legal advice over the handling of his 59-year-old mother, Pauline Lyttle's care.

She was admitted to the hospital in Rom Way, Romford, on Thursday October 15 after her pet Labrador dog, Cassie, caused her to have a fall.

Doctors found Mrs Lyttle, from Brentwood, had pain in her right side and some bruising and carried out further tests, including a chest X-ray, but allegedly found no evidence of rib fracture and no evidence of internal trauma.

She was discharged the following day. But over that weekend she suffered severe chest pain and had to be taken back to hospital by ambulance on Monday, October 19.

She was immediately put on the high dependency ward by different doctors who found she had three broken ribs and internal bleeding of her lung which was compromising her breathing.

Mrs Lyttle, who already suffers with emphysema, then had a heart attack, believed to be due to the pressure on her lungs, and was moved to intensive care where she has remained for the past two weeks.

Doctors carried out a tracheotomy on Monday to help her breathing.

Richard said: "Someone's failing to do their duties. The place is a joke.

"If she'd been diagnosed properly in the beginning, perhaps we might be in a different position today.

"I'm trying to get someone to come down there and face the music but it's like trying to get Hitler to say sorry."

The Barking Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust, which is responsible for Queen's Hospital, was unable to comment due to patient confidentiality, but said if an official complaint is made an investigation will be carried out.

This is not the first time the family has been unhappy with the hospital.

In October last year, Richard's pregnant daughter was, he claims, almost given a termination on the presumption that her unborn baby was dead because she had bled, without having a scan.

When his wife Nancy, 40, pushed doctor's to do the scan on their daughter they found the baby was fine and he was born the following month.

Richard's baby nephew is due to go into the hospital for an operation to straighten out his feet in December, but Richard said the family "don't want him to go to that hospital because they're scared".