Blackpool Victoria Hospital boss issues statement after conclusion of inquest into Valerie Kneale death

Retired clerical assistant Valerie Kneale was recieving treatment on the stroke unit of Blackpool Victoria Hospital in November 2018 when she was violent attacked by an unknown person.

Mrs Kneale, 75, had suffered a stroke at her home in Poulton and died just four days later surrounded by her family.

This week Blackpool coroner Alan Wilson sitting at Blackpool Town Hall probed the circumstances that led to the death of beloved mother, grandmother and aunt.

The coroner confirmed that while the ward should have been secure, police investigations found doors were at times left open or entry gained by tailgating.

He ruled that the retired clerical assistant died as a result of “unlawful act manslaughter,” caused by a sexual assault while she was a patient on the stroke unit.

Mr Wilson added that record-keeping failures, missed observations and a lack of escalation by hospital staff had compromised the investigation and ruined the chances of bring her killer to justice.

Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive of Blackpool Hospitals Trust, made reassurances improvemnts had been made at both the Acute Stroke Ward and the Continuing Care Unit at Blackpool Hospital which both rated as inadequate or requiring improvement under the current Trust ratings.

She said: “I would like to offer again on behalf of the Trust my sincere condolences to Mrs Kneale’s family.

“This has been extremely distressing for all those affected, and I wish to express my gratitude to those staff who gave evidence in the inquest and to those who have supported others during this process.

“I wish to assure Mrs Kneale’s family, patients, and staff that the Trust has already implemented improvements since the tragic death of Mrs Kneale in 2018.

“The Trust is committed to learning and will now carefully consider all of the evidence heard at the inquest and the Coroner’s findings, and make any further improvements, as necessary.”

The inquest, which examined the circumstances leading up to Mrs Kneale’s death, highlighted serious failings in patient care.

According to the coroner’s findings, record-keeping lapses, missed observations and a lack of escalation contributed to the hospital staff failing to identify critical warning signs in a timely manner.

The case has drawn attention to systemic issues that the Trust has been urged to address to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

In response, Ms Oldham confirmed that the Trust had already implemented a series of improvements since 2018 aimed at enhancing patient safety and care standards.

It underscores the importance of ongoing vigilance, staff training and robust procedures to ensure that lessons are learned from past errors.

The inquest has prompted a wider discussion within the local healthcare community about accountability and the steps necessary to safeguard patient wellbeing.

For Mrs Kneale’s family, the case has been both a painful and pivotal moment, highlighting the critical importance of transparency, diligence and the continuous improvement of hospital practices.

Mr Wilson said: “This was a horrific and extreme act carried out against a vulnerable woman. It is not possible to identify who inflicted the injury, but what is certain is that Mrs Kneale died from a vile sexual assault. Her death was an unlawful killing.

“I can conclude that Valerie Kneale died of unlawful killing unlawful act manslaughter.”