Patient died after hospital's blood errors

A HOSPITAL admitted yesterday that a series of errors led to a patient dying when he was given the wrong blood in a mix-up over names.

But Paul Forrest, the coroner who recorded a verdict of accidental death at an inquest, said he was satisfied there was no criminal neglect involved in the death.

Philip James, a pensioner, suffered a heart attack after he was given blood intended for another patient, James Philip, who had a different blood group to which Mr James had an adverse reaction.

Mr James, 73, of Clevedon, was in Southmead Hospital in nearby Bristol recovering from an operation on his intestines when the mistake occurred.

It was decided he needed two blood transfusions after his blood pressure dropped. But he was given the blood meant for Mr Philip in a muddle over group A and O supplies. After the second transfusion, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died.

At an inquest into the death at Bristol coroner's court yesterday, Dr Karen Denton, a pathologist, said Mr James died from a mis-matched blood transfusion and heart disease, after his operation. Paul Forrest, the coroner, recorded a verdict of accidental death. But, asked by a member of Mr James's family whether he would have lived with the correct blood, Mr Forrest said: "Yes, he probably would have."

The inquest heard that a care assistant, Alethea Green, went to an "issue fridge" near the ward for supplies and remembered seeing two similar names. "I must have confused the two patients," she said.

Mary Ferguson, the staff nurse present, said she was not aware that wrong blood was given during her duty.

A spokeswoman for Southmead Health Services NHS Trust yesterday apologised to Mr James's family. "Mr James's premature death in such tragic circumstances is deeply regretted by the trust," she said.

"A thorough investigation into the events leading to the death has been carried out."

The two nurses who were in charge of the men's care were suspended over the fatal error, but have since returned to work. They have taken part in an extensive retraining project designed "to ensure such a tragic event cannot occur again".