Family of man who died after being neglected at Blackpool Vic will sue hospital

Blackpool’s Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is facing a High Court damages claim for more than £200,000 over the death of Paul Wilkinson, 45.

Mr Wilkinson, from Lytham, was taken to hospital on May 26 2017 with severe abdominal pain, and died five days later from multiple organ failure caused by sepsis.

At his inquest in 2018, coroner Claire Doherty heard from independent medical experts that a simple course of antibiotics may have saved his life - but the drug was not administered until the afternoon of May 29, more than three days after he was brought in.

He was not seen by a consultant until 54 hours after he arrived at the hospital, and observation charts were filled in incorrectly due to lack of staff.

A clinical negligence claim has been launched by Mr Wilkinson’s former partner, Louise Jane Johnson, on behalf of herself and his estate.

After being admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital following a period of feeling unwell, Mr Wilkinson's condition deteriorated.

On May 31 he underwent a laparotomy which revealed that his small and large intestines were gangrenous. He died later that day.

Ms Doherty concluded that he died from natural causes which were contributed to by neglect.

Papers submitted to the High Court in London include a lengthy list of allegations of negligence, including failure to pay sufficient attention to Mr Wilkinson’s abdominal pain, failure to consider that a rash and mottling and swelling might be due to sepsis, and failures relating to treatment and medication.

They claim that had these failures not occurred, Mr Wilkinson would have survived his ordeal.

A spokesman for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘As this matter is now subject to legal proceedings, we are unable to comment in detail.

“However, we would reiterate our sincere condolences to Mr Wilkinson’s family and repeat our apologies for the standards of care which fell below our expectations. We have made significant improvements since then as a result of both ongoing work and actions taken following the investigation into this incident.’’