Crowthorne, United Kingdom – A coroner ruled that the death of Michael Nye, who died after a heart attack at Royal Berks Hospital in November 2022, was partly caused by hospital staff failing to spot signs of sepsis. Nye had arrived seriously unwell at the hospital after contracting Strep A during a national outbreak that had claimed the lives of at least two children.
The assistant coroner, Alison McCormick, concluded that Michael died of natural causes but that the actions of the hospital staff more than minimally contributed to his death. The inquest into his death heard that the hospital had been called upon to take action to prevent further deaths. Medical professionals testified that quicker treatment might have increased Nye’s chances of survival and that signs of a soft tissue infection, leading to advancing sepsis, had been missed by doctors at the hospital.
Nye’s partner, Vin, had taken him to the hospital after being advised by his GP for flu-like symptoms, skin mottling, and neck swelling. Despite being declared the ‘sickest patient on the ward’, it was determined that multiple factors contributed to an inadequate level of care provided by the hospital staff.
The coroner distinguished between “failure” and “gross failure” on the part of the hospital, stating that there is no dividing line and that “clinical decisions were made to come to a working diagnosis”. Failings included the failure to start antibiotics earlier in the evening, the failure to address the underlying cause of Nye’s illness, and the failure to come up with another diagnosis other than deep vein thrombosis.
A report with specific solutions to prevent further preventable deaths will be written up for the Royal Berkshire Hospital Trust. The coroner also expressed concerns about the risk of other deaths, calling for actions to reduce these risks. The inquest resulted in the uncovering of evidence and a recommendation for training and education of clinical staff on atypical symptoms of sepsis.
Following the conclusion, the coroner expressed gratitude for the courage, calm dignity, and strength shown by the family during the inquest. She also thanked the representatives and consultants who participated, highlighting how the inquest helped to uncover issues that needed to be addressed.