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Grandmother Died: Doctors Missed Bowel Blockage Signs
2 Jun
Summary
- Doctors missed repeated bowel obstruction signs and sepsis warnings.
- Lack of interpreter hindered the grandmother's communication of pain.
- Health ombudsman found death avoidable with earlier intervention.
A grandmother, Sevinc Ulkueri, aged 76, died in March 2021 at Heartlands Hospital following a perforated bowel and subsequent sepsis. An investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) concluded that her death was avoidable and resulted from missed opportunities to diagnose a bowel obstruction. Ulkueri was admitted with symptoms consistent with a blockage, including vomiting and abdominal pain, but was treated for pneumonia. A chest X-ray indicated bowel loops, a potential sign of blockage, yet this was not acted upon for a week.
Despite physical examinations appearing normal, national guidelines suggest these alone are insufficient to rule out a blockage. Ulkueri was also wrongly encouraged to eat, increasing perforation risks. The PHSO found the trust failed to thoroughly investigate her symptoms and significantly, did not provide a Turkish interpreter, hindering her ability to communicate her intensifying pain to the medical team.
University Hospitals Birmingham Trust has expressed condolences and committed to learning from the incident to prevent recurrence. They have agreed to enhance their bowel problem investigation protocols and offered the family £15,000 in recognition of the distress caused. Ulkueri's daughter stated the hospital ignored pleas to take her mother's pain seriously, contributing to her premature and preventable death.
