Burslem mum, 40, found dead 'in hospital bath'
A PATIENT was found submerged underwater in a hospital bath.
An inquest into the death of mother-of-four Carryann Joynson failed to determine a precise cause of death, but dismissed the suggestion she had drowned.
-
The University Hospital of North Staffordshire's A&E department.
Instead, a verdict of death by natural causes was recorded after pathologist Dr Andrew Hitchcock said it was more likely the 40-year-old had died from either liver or heart failure, possibly caused by her alcoholism.
North Staffordshire Coroner's Court heard that Miss Joynson died at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire on April 17 last year.
Would you like a professional to review your CV and give you some constructive feedback?
contact BlueSky CVs for an honest review
Terms: 1 per person
Contact: 01538 710408
Valid until: Friday, May 24 2013
Miss Joynson, a charity shop worker, drank daily and was admitted to hospital after vomiting blood.
She was eventually moved to Ward 230, which cares for liver and gastro patients.
Patient Gillian Bould, of Brattice Place, Adderley Green, who had the bed opposite, said Miss Joynson had seemed 'agitated.' She said: "At about 2.30pm she went for a bath. I thought she had been away an excessive length of time.
"Her friend arrived and waited about 20 minutes, then I said why don't you knock on the bathroom door, to see if she's okay."
The friend, Dawn Deakin, who had lived near Miss Joynson at Card Street, Burslem – said her friend would constantly drink cider throughout the day.
She said Miss Joynson had developed a distended belly and was starting to struggle to walk and had breathing problems.
She was admitted to hospital after she began being sick.
In a statement read to the inquest, Ms Deakin said: "I knocked on the bathroom door and shouted her name, but got no response. I said to staff I was worried.
"A nurse opened the door and I saw Caryann submerged under the bath. The nurse shouted 'resuss' and I screamed."
Attempts to resuscitate Miss Joynson failed and she was declared dead at about 3.45pm.
Nurse Katie Parker said she had spoken to Miss Joynson while she was in the bath, at about 3.20pm.
Nurses and carers would regularly go into the bathroom with vulnerable patients, but Miss Joynson – who was going through detox for her alcoholism – was judged to be alert and safe. There are no standard procedures for checking the bathroom.
Since the incident the bath has not been used.
Pathologist Dr Hitchcock ruled out drowning and said she may have fallen, after she was found with a fresh bruise on the side of her head.
He said the shock of water entering her throat would have revived her from an unconscious state.
He said: "It is the cause of death we see in thrillers, but in my experience it doesn't work that way."
Coroner Ian Smith said: "I'm satisfied she has not died from drowning. I think natural disease related to alcohol, it may be her liver, it may be her heart. If she died in her bed we would not be here."
7 Comments
by mrb__instoke
Sunday, March 17 2013, 5:55PM
“melpowell1983
baths are not a danger. what is dangerous is well meaning people deciding what other people who do not lack capacity can an cannot do. its called deprivation of liberties. this is why thousands of baths are taken safely every day by people recieving care. risk assesment is exactly that, assesing the risk and minimising it . Otherwise we might as well just tell people to stay in bed because its 'the safest thing to do'
i can understand your reasoning but giving people choice also means giving them the choice to make bad decisions i.e. not in their best interests”
by LordOxford
Sunday, March 17 2013, 9:52AM
“Baths aren't a danger in hospitals. Its the way they are used which can be the problem and the same consideration should be taken for vunerable, unsurpervised patients in the shower-you may not drown but you could easily suffer a head injury if, for example, you had a seizure if alone in the shower. Nurses would take this into consideration when planning care and as part of a patient risk assessment.
In 30 years of acute care nursing I cant remember one incident of accidental drowning at UHNS (but I could be wrong here) indeed that this may not be the case with this poor lady, as the coroner pointed out.
She was on a 32 bed ward with ONE bath-all the rooms have ensuite showers attached to them so she had (rightly) a choice and, for whatever reason, decided to use the bath, as she would if she were at home It sounds like she was self caring and im sure the nurses would have discouraged the use of the bath if it were assessed that this may have been a problem, again the coroner didnt see a problem with this either
Baths are placed on each ward to offer an alternative for some patients with differing (inc therapeutic) care requirements but are generally not used that much, childrens ward excepted (have you ever tried to put a toddler in the shower?!!)-and they have additional baths-again no child as ever drown in one that im aware of. Some of the older wards have indeed removed them but it hasnt anything to do with drowning.”
by FFDP1
Sunday, March 17 2013, 6:49AM
“Mel is right, baths are a big danger in hospitals and any care giving system should think about removing them. This is a very sad story.”
by sikaPetaHi
Saturday, March 16 2013, 9:29PM
“she was a adult not a child,go back to bed & rest your brain...ACCIDENTS HAPPEN”
by melpowell1983
Saturday, March 16 2013, 9:07PM
“Obviously the people who have rated me negative don't have a brain! you're less likely to drown if you fall unconscious, faint, or have a seizure in a shower than you are in a bath! Why do you think most people who have health problems have wet rooms or showers! Think logically!!! Have you never done a risk assessment?”
by sikaPetaHi
Saturday, March 16 2013, 7:54PM
“melpowell
so if someone falls of a hospital chair get rid of the chairs? grow up!!”
by melpowell1983
Saturday, March 16 2013, 4:38PM
“This is why they need to get rid of baths at the hospital!”