Vic's A&E '˜full' on day Jackie died

An inquest into the death of Jackie Maguire heard how paperwork at the hospital was not filled in when she was taken there on the morning of February 22 last year.

The court had previously heard how the 52-year-old, who had Down’s Syndrome and lived at the United Response care home on St Annes Road East, St Annes, had suffered from vomiting for a week and diarrhoea for a week and a half.

She suffered a suspected seizure on the afternoon of Feburary 21 and staff requested a home visit from a doctor at the Clifton Medical Practice.

However, he refused to attend as he said he did not believe it was necessary.

An ambulance was called later that night. Paramedics attended the care home, but Miss Maguire became distressed, and they decided it was not in her best interests to be taken to hospital.

She was taken to Blackpool Victorial Hospital’s A&E department the next morning. Her condition deteriorated and she died later that day of an ulcer that had pierced the stomach wall, and an infection.

The inquest heard how documentation about Miss Maguire was not correctly filled in during her stay at the hospital.

The A&E had exceeded its capacity at the time.

Matron Sue Roberts said: “Nurses know that if they have not written it down, they have not done their jobs. They know they have not written things down that they should have.”

Miss Maguire’s mother, Muriel Maguire, previously told the inquest she had been told by doctors at the hospital that her daughter was suffering from sepsis.

She was given antibiotics at 11.50am, 80 minutes after arriving at the hospital, which was within a three-hour guideline.

The inquest also heard how the United Response care home where Miss Maguire lived had been given an overall rating as ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission at the time of Miss Maguire’s death, though a later inspection rated the service as ‘good’ in all areas. The inquest is expected to conclude either today or Monday, depending on the jury.