UK COVID-19 Inquiry|26 Nov 2024

Disturbing testimony by Anna Louis Marsh Rees on behalf of the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Wales.

Warning: The following contains details of a harrowing nature. I could find no mainstream or ‘alternative’ media articles of this testimony.

Introduction

Ms.Rees sadly lost her father to hospital acquired ‘COVID’ October 2020 during the ‘second wave of the pandemic.’ Her father became unwell in the week following his discharge from hospital where he was being treated for a gallbladder infection.

The groups primary aim is;

‘‘To understand why decisions were made and for errors to be publicly acknowledged so lessons can be learned.’’

Please make sure to read the witness statement highlights for even more remarkable evidence that did not make the oral testimony. One example below;

‘‘It seems to many of our members that their loved ones suffered discriminatory treatment through the use of frailty scoring to prioritise, refuse and withdraw treatment and that their loved ones were neglected in hospital because they were `’old.’’

-Paragraph 38 of statement

Testimony highlights

Almost identical evidence has been revealled at the Scottish COVID Inquiry since October 2023 which is now being admitted at the UK COVID inquiry albeit in a much more low-key manner.

• Clinical abandonment

• NHS clinical Frailty scale denying potentially life-saving anti-biotics

• People dying alone

• No consent DNACPR notices

• Powers of attorney overidden

• Loved ones belongings burned

The most shocking revelation noted during oral evidence and within the witness statement at paragraph 28 was in relation to the NHS losing dead bodies.

‘‘The lack of compassion shown towards the dead and the bereaved was accentuated further by the healthcare system's ability to lose bodies within their morgues. This happened to the loved ones of at least four of our members .’’

Excessive lockdown wait times for ambulances

During lockdown seriously ill patients were waiting hours for ambulances. Visits within hospitals to see dying loved ones was forbidden, not even video calls were allowed.

‘‘Most of us were told DON’T BOTHER ringing 999..take them yourselves.’’

‘‘Some of your members had to say goodbye to their loves ones by text message.’’

Medical discrimination

Those most at risk from ‘COVID’ were also most at risk of medical maltreatment during lockdown. Even sd patients had plummeting oxygen levels life saving supplemental oxygen was withheld.

‘‘I said, please can you try again (to give my dad oxygen) and the doctor said..’’THAT SHIP HAS SAILED.’’

No anti-biotics

Here it is confirmed some patients were denied potentially life saving anti-biotics during lockdown because of the NHS clinical frailty scale. Powers of attorney were completely ignored. Calls from concerned family members would remain unanswered despite hospitals NOT being busy. Patient advocacy groups had also vanished.

‘‘When my father was dying it was’nt a particulary busy time.’’

‘‘Patient voice groups and liasons were definetely not around during the first and second waves.’’

DNACPR

The application of DNACPRs without consent was common practise within the NHS during lockdown. Powers of attorney were irrelevant. Patients were effectively being told to their faces by medics they were not worth saving.

‘‘Most of us were not consulted and most of us didn’t find out until we got hold of hospital notes and that could be some months even YEARS later.’’

‘‘Apparently my dad was fine with it….they explained to the patient that CPR would be futile…i pray they did not use the word futile to my dad.’’

Personal belongings

‘‘Insensitive communication’’ is blamed from hospitals after loved ones had died in relation to the return of personal items.

• Told to burn them

• They got someone elses

• Soiled clothing

• Urine soaked slippers

‘‘One lady got her husbands stuff back about a year later with two half opened packets of biscuits in them.’’

Statement highlights

‘‘One member was not offered a video call whilst her father was dying; it was not possible for her to say goodbye to him through the hospital window because he was on the 5th floor. She explained that all she could do was say goodbye to her father via a text message and hope that it would be read out to him.’’

-Paragraph 26 of statement

‘‘One member found out that the wedding ring of her loved one had been lost following death.’’

‘‘One member explained that her loved one was not placed on the palliative care pathway, during the relevant period, meaning that he died on his own, in distress.’’

-Paragraph 29 of statement

‘‘We have examples from members arising across all Welsh Health Boards where their loved one was not in the correct state of mind to understand the implications of the notice. One member has informed us tha their father's DNACPR was signed upon his admission to hospital even though he was admitted practically unconscious and unable to consent.’’

-Paragraph 34 of statement

‘‘Alarmingly, we have several members who were not consulted on the decision toput a DNACPR in place despite the fact that they held a Power of Attorney over their loved ones' Health and Welfare. Our members have also reported that in a lot of cases, the forms were incomplete or inaccurate; some were only signed by one Doctor, not two.’’

-Paragraph 35 of statement

‘‘The group are concerned about the effect that this had on those suffering with poor mental health on their wellbeing and whether that had an impact on the outcome for those individuals.’’

-Pasragraph 36 of statement

‘‘Many of our members' loved ones (and indeed themselves) suffered unacceptable, inappropriate and unreasonable treatment whilst in the healthcare system. One of our member's loved one, who suffered from mental health issues, was told to "shut-up.’’

-Paragraph 37 of statement

‘‘It seems that our loved ones who were suffering from pre-existing illnesses were denied the treatment they needed following the closure of non-covid related clinics. CBFJ Cymru wish to highlight the further damage and trauma caused to many individuals, for example through delays in cancer diagnoses, which were generated due to the closure of many non-covid related clinics.’’

-Paragraph 39 of statement

‘‘A further indignity faced by the members of the group, and their loved ones, was the lack of patient privacy and the right not to be photographed or filmed whilst in hospital. One member was filmed by the news channel whilst he was being treated with CPAP oxygen. This was so traumatic for his family to see on TV with no discussion or prior warning given.’’

-Paragraph 40 of statement

‘‘(redacted name) authorised numerous members of staff to move around hospitals taking photographs of those who were suffering and dying. They even authorised access to morgues where photographs were taken of those who had succumb to the virus in body bags. This was wholly inappropriate.’’

-Paragraph 42 of statement

‘‘Our members tell us they were not informed of deterioration, they were unaware that their loved ones were dying, requests for updates were ignored, phone calls to the wards were unanswered and staff were abrupt and made family members feel they were bothering the hospital staff….

..We have also had reports of loved one's death certificates noting covid was present, yet the hospital records reveal that the patient had had negative covid tests throughout hospital stays.’’

-Paragraph 51 of statement

‘‘Families report many incidents of routine medications being given incorrectly. ‘‘

-Paragraph 53 of statement

Thoughts

I would also add during the testimony Ms.Rees argued for ‘‘consistent policies that EVERYONE follows’’ and IPC measures like mask wearing were not adequate therefore FFP3 masks should have been supplied so that you could have been with a loved one when they die. Delayed testing of asymptomatic healthcare workers was also a concern for Ms.Rees. She went onto to complain about the lack of common sense and one the groups main concerns is:

‘‘We really want the digitisation of DNACPRs.’’

In ‘‘Lessons learned’’ the groundwork for the next ‘pandemic’ is laid bare.

‘‘The Welsh Government should implement the closing of venues, lockdowns and firebreaks far sooner and ensure that people are following the rules.’’

-Paragraph 63 of statement -Lessons CBFJ Cymru considers can be learned in relation to the way the healthcare system operates in the event of a future pandemic.

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End

Links:

Full statement- https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/26175201/INQ000343992.pdf

Full video- Youtube-UK Covid 19 Inquiry - Module 3 Hearing - 26 November 2024 AM