Kent woman called 999 from hospital over care concerns

Ava Stanley was being treated for chest pains at Medway Maritime Hospital

A woman said she feared for her life after a nurse allegedly ignored a heart monitor showing her heart was beating irregularly.

Ava Stanley, 63, from Higham, Kent, was admitted to the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham for chest pains last month.

She said she called 999 from her hospital bed to force the nurses to take action.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust apologised and said it was investigating.

Mrs Stanley said: "I actually called 999 from my bed because I really thought that I was going to die and I might not make it."

She said her heart rhythm became erratic before dropping to zero, causing the monitor alarm to sound.

Mrs Stanley added that it happened four times within a 40-minute period but each time "the alarm was ignored".

Mrs Stanley says her heart monitor was "ignored" by nurses

Following the 999 call she was taken to the cardiac ward for further tests before being discharged last week.

But she believes nurses should have "erred on the side of caution" and not silenced the monitor.

Jayne Black, Chief Executive at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are very sorry if Ms Stanley feels the standard of care given during her visit was not to the high level that we would expect and we apologise for any distress that may have been caused.

"Our senior nursing staff remain in close contact with Ms Stanley and we will be investigating any concerns that she raises, making sure to feed back the findings with her as soon as we can."

Mrs Stanley has a further meeting with the trust next month.

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