Tamara Davis, 31, died after being left 12 hours on a hospital trolley at the Royal Sussex County Hospital with her family claiming that the A&E department looked like “a scene from a war zone”
A family of a woman who died after spending 12 hours on a hospital trolley said the A&E department looked like “a scene from a war zone”.
There were to 30 patients lying on trolleys in corridors with other sick people spread across the floor and seats, it is claimed. Speaking outside a pre-inquest hearing into the death of Tamara Davis, 31, her mother, Sue, said: “It was absolute carnage in there, a right scene. It was like something out of a war zone.
“There were 30 people on trolleys waiting for proper treatment and more people on the floor and seats. It was a total mess.” Tamara Davis was rushed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital by car on the evening of December 10 2022 after complaining of breathing difficulties.
The pre-inquest hearing at Brighton Town Hall was was told her partner, Raphael Ifil, had desperately phoned 999 five times to try and get an emergency ambulance. When they failed to come he got his brother to drive Tamara the three miles to Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Her mother told the hearing: “Raf could not get an ambulance. He spent two hours trying to get one. Five times he called and couldn’t get one.” Outside the hearing the family said that when he got there she began to have a fit so he picked her up and rushed her into A&E.
She was immediately sent through to a cubicle in A&E where she was given oxygen before being wheeled out on the trolley into the corridor where she waited for 10 hours. Her devastated younger sister Miya, 25, who rushed to the hospital to be by her side, said staff just forgot about her sister.
She said: “They were meant to be caring for her but they simply forgot about her and she was just left there curled up in a ball on the trolley in the corridor. We felt powerless. It was crazy. They gave her some antibiotics but then they missed giving her another dose even though they wrote it on her notes.
“That was later crossed out – but there is no explanation why and no initials next to the crossed out entry. It felt like there were times when my sister was treated as a burden. Not a single nurse, doctor or porter even glanced to check if Tamara was in distress.”
Tamara’s condition continued to worsen and she was eventually admitted to intensive care where she was put on a ventilator but she died three days later, on December 13 due to health/what-sepsis-signs-symptoms-treatment-7246541>sepsis and multiple organ failure.
Her heartbroken family said that Tamara was “failed” by the hospital and died after “disgusting” treatment at the Royal Sussex. They say her death could have been prevented had she received proper care in A&E and blasted the hospital’s treatment of her.
Miya said: “I’ve never felt my heart break like I did when I was told my sister wouldn’t recover. It’s like she was an afterthought. She was just left, almost forgotten. The treatment of my sister was appalling. Nobody came to check on her. Nobody even stopped to ask if we had everything we needed or if she was comfortable.”
“Knowing that her death could have been prevented if she had received the care and attention she needed in A&E makes breaks my heart.” The death will be the subject of a full inquest after Joanne Andrews, the area coroner for West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, said she had reason to suspect her death was “unnatural”
After the short hearing the family said they wanted the hospital trust to explain why they “failed” to provide adequate care. Her mother, Sue, said: “I want answers. It’s absolutely disgusting they failed to look after her properly. It is devastating to know she’d still be here if they had done their jobs.”
Previously Dr Andy Heeps, Chief Operating Officer at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have previously spoken directly with Tamara’s family to express our condolences at what is clearly an incredibly tragic time for them, and I would also like to personally express my sympathies.
“I cannot publicly discuss Tamara’s care, but in general terms it is undoubtedly the case that our staff sometimes have to work under significant pressure, in difficult circumstances, but they will always do their very best to give care, compassion and dignity to their patients.” A provisional date for the full inquest has been set for June 28.
