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Family Hopes Lessons Learned After Hospital Death
1 May
Summary
- Stephen Rowan died after leg ulcers became infected at hospital.
- His legs were amputated a week before his death.
- Family cited communication problems between hospital departments.
Stephen Rowan, a 74-year-old from Norwich, died in July 2025 following complications from infected leg ulcers. His family has voiced concerns about hospital care, hoping lessons will be learned by staff after an inquest concluded his death was due to natural causes.
Rowan was admitted to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) in April 2025 for a fractured hip. He was later moved to Norwich Community Hospital for rehabilitation. During his stay, he developed two ulcers on his heels, and a prescribed care regime involving antimicrobial dressings and an air mattress was not consistently followed.
Communication issues between departments led to the wrong dressings being used and delays in specialist consultations. By mid-June 2025, Rowan's health declined significantly, and he was readmitted to NNUH with suspected sepsis from his infected ulcers.
Doctors decided to amputate both his legs, which occurred on 27 July 2025. He passed away seven days later. The inquest heard that while treatment failings were discussed, the coroner ruled they had a minimal effect on the ulcer deterioration, with hospital-acquired pneumonia and below-knee amputations being contributing factors.
Rowan's family felt let down by the NHS system but expressed hope that this experience would lead to improved communication and prevent future families from similar suffering. The ward manager acknowledged that changes and additional training have been implemented.
