HC-One: Closed down Whittlesey care home 'missed opportunities' to respond to ex-prison warden's worsening health

A former resident of The Elms Care Home in Whittlesey did not receive "a reasonable standard of care” in his final days at the facility, a coroner has ruled.

There were "missed opportunities" to respond to George Lowlett's worsening health in the days leading up to his admission to hospital, Caroline Jones continued.

She concluded that Mr Lowlett died of natural causes, namely sepsis contributed to by pneumonia, at Peterborough City Hospital on 18 February 2019.

But it's "possible there were earlier opportunities to seek medical intervention," Ms Jones said.

Mr Lowlett had been found unresponsive in his room the previous day, having been diagnosed with a chest infection a few days earlier.

It’s not possible to say that his outcome would necessarily have been any different if he had been admitted to hospital sooner than he was, Ms Jones said, but he would have had a “somewhat better chance” of recovery.

Witness statements from Mr Lowlett’s daughter, Laura Newell, and some of his care records suggest that Mr Lowlett was visibly unwell and deteriorating in his final few days at The Elms.

But other records and witness statements from one of the care home’s nurses involved in his care, Coleta Bartolome, suggest he appeared well despite his chest infection.

The inquest heard “two different versions of events”, Ms Jones said, and discrepancies in his records made it difficult for the court to “establish precisely the seriousness” of Mr Lowlett’s condition.

The “piecemeal” care records also made it harder for Mr Lowlett’s family to trust what they say, she added.

Mr Lowlett, who died aged 90, was a civil servant when he retired, but had undertaken several jobs throughout his life including a prison warden, a carpenter and a Government clerk.

He loved square dancing and was a “caring, hardworking man who loved life,” according to his daughter Mrs Newell.

During his inquest, watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) apologised to his family for failing to follow their own processes in relation to a complaint after his death.

The hearing also heard from former Elms nurse Simone McIntyre that her record-keeping could have been “a lot better” in the days preceding Mr Lowlett’s hospital admission and that Mrs Newell was unhappy with what she considered the home’s “inaction” during those days.

But home manager Katie Coulson said that her staff “all did the best they could”.

Cambridgeshire County Council suspended admission to all homes operated by its provider HC-One at a similar time.

Mr Lowlett’s inquest was immediately preceded by that of Margaret Canham and followed by that of David Poole; two other former Elms residents who died within around a month of each other.

Today (March 30) is day four of the hearing. Mr Poole’s inquest continues.