Wrexham Maelor Hospital wrongly recorded woman's death
- Published
The inquest was held at Ruthin County Hall
A leukaemia patient was killed by sepsis, a coroner ruled, after Wrexham Maelor Hospital recorded a different cause of death.
Joyce Ellen Jones, 73, was initially recorded to have died from Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) and no post-mortem was carried out on her.
But coroner John Gittins praised her husband John Jones for trying to get the full facts behind her death.
Mr Gittins recorded a narrative verdict at the inquest in Ruthin.
The coroner for North East Wales had agreed to hold the inquest after obtaining further evidence about Ms Jones's treatment the day before her death on 27 December 2017.
'Overwhelmed by disease'
Mr Jones, of Rhostyllen, Wrexham, said his wife had a severe reaction to chemotherapy and was diagnosed with sepsis on 6 December.
She was due to have a platelet transfusion on 29 December, but was taken to hospital on Boxing Day.
After being triaged through the emergency department on 27 December, Mr Jones said he had to take her himself to the toilet after failing to find a member of staff to help, and he noticed blood in her urine.
He said he attempted to draw attention to his wife's condition, but "no-one came".
Mr Jones said he was told by staff nurse Sarah Wilson his wife should have been admitted on Boxing Day due to low blood readings, but Ms Wilson denied making such a comment.
No post-mortem examination was held and the cause of Mrs Jones's death given by the hospital was DIC, in which blood clots can lead to severe bleeding.
Consultant haematologist Dr David Watson, who had been treating Mrs Jones, told the inquest there was no evidence of DIC.
Mr Gittins recorded the cause of death as neutropaenic sepsis due to infection.
He said Mrs Jones "had been overwhelmed by the disease process" and was unable to cope.
He did not issue a regulation 28 notice to Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, but said: "I don't want the health board to believe there is nothing to be learned from this case."