Medic's 'neglect' contributed to patient's death at Milton Keynes Hospital

Glenda Logsdail died after an anaesthetist misdiagnosed and incorrectly inserted a breathing tube

A patient being prepared for surgery died partly due to "neglect in basic care", a coroner has concluded.

Glenda Logsdail, 61, died at Milton Keynes Hospital after her blood oxygen levels plunged, causing a cardiac arrest.

Anaesthetist Dr Wael Zghaibe told the hearing he made a "grave error", after mistakenly inserting a breathing tube into her stomach instead of her lungs.

The hospital has apologised and accepted full responsibility.

The coroner said he would prepare a report for the prevention of future deaths following the hearing.

Mrs Logsdail, a former NHS radiographer, was being prepared for a septic appendicitis operation, which has an expected 99% chance of survival.

Dr Zghaibe said he misidentified her reactions to the tube being inserted incorrectly, wrongly believing she was suffering a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction to the pre-operative medication.

Had a carbon dioxide output monitor, known as the "gold standard" for checking tube positions been monitored, it would have showed Mrs Logsdail's breathing had flatlined.

Assistant coroner Dr Sean Cummings said Dr Zghaibe's failure to "go back to basics" and check the tube position amounted to a "gross failure to provide basic medical care".

"Had he conducted the basic ABC (air, breathing and circulation) checks when things first began to deteriorate, I find it is probable Mrs Logsdail would have survived," the coroner said.

"Consequently, I find Mrs Logsdail's death was contributed to by neglect on the part of Dr Zghaibe."

Dr Zghaibe previously told Milton Keynes Coroner's Court: "It never occurred to me that I could have made such a grave error."

Dr Cummings accepted the "candid and honest" account Dr Zghaibe gave to the inquest, that he "erroneously became fixated on a diagnosis of anaphylaxis".

Milton Keynes Hospital Trust apologised for the "catastrophic human error", adding it took "full responsibility" and had since strengthened training, policies and procedures.

Mrs Logsdail's family said in a statement: "We hope such basic errors in care never happen again and no other family has to go through such heartache."