Covid patient died after surgery went ahead despite positive test

Barbara Gregory (centre) left behind three children, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren

A hospital trust has apologised following the death of a patient who had tested positive for Covid and whose surgery should have been postponed.

Barbara Gregory, 72, died two days after an operation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in January.

An NHS investigation revealed while a Covid test was carried out before surgery, surgeons did not wait for the result before operating.

A post-mortem examination was not held so the cause of death was unclear.

The operation in January involved the removal of the rest of Mrs Gregory's left lung. She had been suffering from lung cancer.

Her family told the BBC she had been unwell before the surgery with a chest infection and a flu-like virus.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) launched an internal investigation into her death and concluded that Covid test results should have been done prior to surgery and the operation should have been postponed.

Barbara Gregory's family said hospital staff failed to tell them how serious her condition had become

Mrs Gregory's daughter, Leanne Gregory, said: 'Mom wasn't Covid tested at her pre-op assessment. That should have been done.

'They didn't have her results on the day (of the operation), she didn't go to ICU. For some reason the risks were mis-calculated time and time again and my mom was trusting them."

The investigation carried out by the hospital trust also revealed it took nine hours for the Covid swab to be booked in for testing at the lab.

By the time the results were available, the surgery had taken place.

The report said Mrs Gregory's health deteriorated overnight and she was transferred to intensive care where she was put on life support.

She then went into peri-arrest, the stage before full cardiac arrest, but the family said hospital staff failed to tell them how serious her condition had become, which robbed them of their chance to say goodbye.

Leanne Gregory said her mother trusted the hospital staff

Mrs Gregory's long-term partner Graham Allen said: "I trusted the doctors but I blame myself. I'm no medical expert but I knew how bad she'd been. She'd been so ill."

By the time the family arrived at the hospital, Mrs Gregory was on life support and it was unclear if she could hear them.

Despite the trust classing Mrs Gregory's death as a serious incident and launching their own internal investigation, a post-mortem examination was not carried out.

A statement from University Hospitals Birmingham said:"Senior clinicians have thoroughly investigated the circumstances surrounding Mrs Gregory's surgery and death, and we have engaged with Mrs Gregory's family openly to provide the answers they are seeking as part of the investigation."

It said a number of recommendations had been made, including "the consideration and recognition of the individual risks involved in such surgeries".

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