A report by the National Confidential Enquiry in Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) has found hospital patients are dying from preventable cardiac arrests.
The investigation was carried out over a two week period in 2010 and the results were published at the end of 2012 in a report called ‘Cardiac Arrest Procedures: Time to Intervene?’
The findings remain a significant cause of concern, as they revealed that:
- Fewer than 20% of adults who have a cardiac arrest in hospital will survive;
- More than one third of in-hospital cardiac arrests could have been prevented;
- Around 75% of patients who had a cardiac arrest presented early warning symptoms;
- Care was considered to be good in only 29% of patients assessed.
All this seems improbable, as most would reasonably assume that hospital is the one place where the signs of an impending cardiac arrest would be detected. Yet this is not the case, as medical staff in hospitals are failing to manage acutely ill patients.
More specifically, the report highlighted that nurses and doctors were neglecting to:
- Identify the obvious markers of deterioration in patients;
- Act upon warning signs;
- Communicate problems to senior doctors.
Consequently hospital patients are dying from cardiac arrests which could be readily avoided with the proper medical care.
Has your loved one died from a cardiac arrest in hospital?
If your loved one has needlessly died from a preventable cardiac arrest while in hospital, you could be entitled to pursue a claim on their behalf. To find out more, get in touch with us at Glynns.
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