UK COVID-19 Inquiry|26 Nov 2024

Powerful testimony by Martina Ferguson from COVID-19 Famlies for Justice Northern Ireland.

Warning: Contains details of an extremely harrowing nature.

The witness statement is one of the most shocking i’ve read to date. Sadly, most of it completely ignored by Jacqueline Carey KC during the oral sesssion and of course the silence from both mainstream and ‘alternative’ media is equally as concerning.

Introduction

Martina Ferguson is one of the group leads of the Northern Ireland Covid Bereaved Families for Justice-‘NICBFF’ was started around December 2021. Her mother, an advanced Dementia sufferer, sadly passed away from ‘COVID’ aged 88 January 4th 2021. However this ‘diagnosis’ preceeded a sustained period of neglect from July 2020 (details below) resulting in pneumonia. She was prescribed end of life medication without consent. The following not mentioned during oral evidence.

‘‘Midazolam and morphine were given to my mum without my consent.’’

-Paragraph 22e of statement

Admissions

Ms.Fergusons mother was initially admitted in July 2020 with seizures (of which she had prior history). At that time, she was tested TWICE for ‘COVID’ and found to be negative. She was then discharged (according to the family ‘too soon’) back into the nursing home.

‘‘My mother had two hospital admissions during the Covid-19 pandemic which lasted a period of approximately 2 weeks in July 2020, She was first admitted on Sunday July 2020, the reason for admission was a seizure, this was also the principal diagnosis on Wenesday 8th July 2020. had asked the doctor to keep her under observation for an additional 24 hour period as i felt she was not well enough to return to the nursing home. My mother was subsequently re-admitted to Hospital within 24 hours on Thursday 9th July 2020, the reason for admission was a seizure, and the principal diagnosis upon discharge on Wednesday 22nd July 2020 was Pneumonia (CAP) & Thrush.’’ -Paragraph 17 of statement

‘‘In early July 2020, 1 initiated a Human Rights based legal challenge as an individual regarding the visiting restrictions when I discovered the poor state of my mother's personal care and hygiene on admission.’’ - Paragraph 20 of statement

‘‘My affidavit explains my mother's period in hospital during July 2020, Neglect was confirmed following an Adult Safeguarding Investigation (ASI) investigation in November 2020 which was related to my mothers personal care and hygiene.’’ - Paragraph 20 of statement

The final hospital admission before her death was on 23rd December 2020 where she was suffering from a high heart rate and after this episode tested ‘positive for COVID’ and sadly then passed January 4th 2021.

NB- In Northern Ireland the ‘COVID vaccine’ programme officially commenced on 8th December 2020.

Testimony highlights

DNACPR

Almost immediately upon testing ‘positive’ for ‘COVID’ a DNACPR decision was discussed with the family.

‘‘I just got this distinct impression a DNR was being placed on my mummy…i said to the doctor look..just because you are going to place a DNR on my mummy that shouldn’t mean that my mummy will not be receiving treatment?’’

DNACPRs a ‘‘major issue’’

As per Scottish/Welsh COVID bereaved testimony ‘‘poor communication’’ is cited as problematic throughout such decisions taking place rather than investigating if this could have been a co-ordinated response with intent.

‘‘There is an institutional fatalism on the part of care professionals.’’

‘‘Another young woman and her mother lost their brother/uncle, he had downs syndrome, one minute they were told that he was fine and recovering well then the next five minutes they got a call to say you need to be at the hopsital.’’

‘‘One particular lady who had lost her husband…she had overheard staff saying we are far too busy to update your family…he husband had heard the nurse in charge say that you’ve been fond of the drink during your time…that patient had never drank.’’

NB: The Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart is an international organisation for Catholic teetotalers.

‘COVID’ ward experience

Despite Ms.Ferguson being told by nurses you will be denied access to see your mother..persistence however appears to be a cure for ‘COVID.’

‘‘I had been locked out of my mummy’s care home for nine months.’’

‘‘I’m not going home unless i know i am getting in this ward to be with my mum..she(nurse) literally walked round the corner and came back two minutes later and said you can have one hour.’’

‘COVID’ ward experience part-2

Warning: Contains distressing scenes.

‘‘Alot of families had to say goodbye through an ipad or a telephone..some if it just didn’t make sense.’’

‘‘Staff were explaining your mummy will be wrapped in a shroud..i said i think you mean a bed sheet and put into a body bag and i thought this can’t be happening.’’

‘‘I was one of six children the rest of our family had to say goodbye through face-time.’’

‘‘It was horrendous.’’

Statement Highlights

Below. Harrowing evidence from the COVID bereaved members Northern Ireland, most of which was not covered during oral testimony with legal representation instead focused on masks being worn under the chin. Pay close attention to Catherine Todd’s evidence, paragraph 43!!

• Cardiac illness= ‘‘apparent’’ ‘COVID-19’

‘‘Deborah Braiden's father Arthur was admitted to hospital with a cardiac event. He apparently contracted Covid-19 within the clinical setting and died on 29"' March 2021. Despite his underlying health condition, his family have been left with the heavy feeling that he would have been fine had he not been admitted to hospital.’’

-Paragraph 28 of statement

• The unvaccinated blamed.

‘‘Tracy Dee/tan's father Ronald McArthurs died after contracting Covid-19 on the cancer ward. Another patient admitted to the ward had tested positive 2 days after admission. The family feels it is likely that an unvaccinated nurse, who also then tested positive, caught Covid-19 from the other patient and passed it to her father.’’

-Paragraph 29 of statement

‘‘Helen Coyle's father George McGrattan, was admitted In relation to a non Covid illness, He was not tested on his release, resulting in him returning hone ill. Mr Mc Grattan was subsequently re-admitted. one week later. He tested positive for Covid-19 upon being re-adrnitted and died on 10th May.’’

-Paragraph 30 of statement

‘‘Jane Cosgrove's husband Samuel died at 69 years of age from Covid-19 in I &S Hospital having been admitted to hospital with broken ribs. He should have been protected in hospital but instead was evidently infected In a clinical setting.’’

-Paragraph 36 of statement

‘‘On 17" February 2021, during the course of a phone call to Michael, the nurse responsible for Michael's care is heard to say; I’m sick-of your family calling the hospital and annoying me and the nurses/sisters with asking questions about you.’’

-Paragraph 41 of statement

‘‘Annette Millikens father, an otherwise healthy man who was admitted to hospital with Covid-19. Without consultation a DNR decision was made…the family's recollection was that the doctors had told them "they would give upon him’’. What was further shocking for the family to learn was that their father had also been placed into a medically induced coma.’’

-Paragraph 42 of statement

‘‘Catherine Toodd,the mother of the youngest deceased within our group. This child lived only a matter of hours. His mother was not told that he was receiving palliative care and she had always thought he was getting better, not that he was going to die. The child did not have Covid-19 according to his death certificate..it listed the cause of death was pulmonary haemorrhage, however '‘maternal Covd’' listed next to this. A PCR confirmed that the child did not have Covid-19.’’

-Paragraph 43 of statement

• The use/misuse of DNR notices and the absence of familial consultation in relation to such notices.

‘‘Our members have frequently raised concerns about apparent institutional pessimism/resignation/fatalism on the part of the health care professionals. Families were all too often wholly unaware that DNACPRs decision had been made, who had made them or why they had been made. This information often came to light, after the death and only when the families managed to obtain copies of the medical notes and records of the deceased. One example of this is recounted by Rhons Tait who discovered that a DNR had been placed on her mother whilst she was in the ambulance.’’

-Paragraph 50 of statement

‘‘Jacqueline Heron recounts a harrowing experience about when DNR was discussed with her by a doctor. She had made it clear to the doctor that there was "no way" she was prepared to give her consent. The female doctor said that she would not like to have to "smash her sternum’’,the doctor said that Ms.Heron's mother had COPD and she "had the power to do this without family consent."

-Paragraph 51 of statement

‘‘Agnes Hollyoak describes how her mother was admitted into the hospital for the purpose of receiving antibiotic medication. Whilst in hospital she moved from isolation into a mixed ward was where she contracted the virus and passed away a few days later. The family asked whether their mother could receive the anti-biotics at home and was told that she could not.’’

-Paragraph 53 of statement

• The use/misuse of palliative care in the hospital/care home setting/possible use of discredited Liverpool Care Pathway

‘‘Michael ONelll's mother Esther had just been given her all-clear following her cancer treatment at the end of July 2020. Other than her cancer diagnosis she had lived a fit and healthy life. In January 2021 she contracted Covid-19 and deteriorated rapidly such that the family thought the treating doctor must have had her confused with someone else, given the difference in her presentation to the family on the phone against what was being reported by the hospital. A doctor came in shortly before Mrs O'Neill passed away and stated that Mrs O'Neill was distressed and that the device that was assisting her to breathe would be removed. Michael objected pointing out she did not appear to be distressed. The doctor relented and the device was replaced, After this, Michael's mother appeared to drift in and out of consciousness. At one stage she asked for a drink. A nurse then brought in a tray that contained a sort of lollipop and a sponge. Later a nurse told Michael not to give his mum water. She said It was not good for her. She died shortly thereafter.’’

-Paragraph 55 of statement

‘‘Claire Smith recounts how a junior doctor told her mother that she was dying which left her mother distraught. She described how the remark by the junior doctor had haunted her as she tried to comfort and console her mother.’’

-Paragraph 59 of statement

‘‘In the case of Claire Bloomfield, before her father passed away, he had telephoned her and told her that "no one had come near him for 11 hours.’’ Ms.Bloomfield contacted the ward and was told by a nurse that the staff did not realise that her father was a patient and they lost her father's test. She describes feeling "bullied"by the treating doctor and that his attitude toward her was high-handed and dismissive. After her father's condition deteriorated, she was presented with an ultimatum by the doctor that, if she gave permission to turn off his life support machine she would be allowed to go and see her father, Ms Bloomfield made the heart wrenching decision to turn off her father`s machine and has been haunted with the reasons for this decision ever since.’’

-Paragraph 60 of statement

‘‘Whilst receiving treatment, certain powerful drugs such as risperidone and midazolam were administered at striking levels and frequencies to patients who were vulnerable, placid and even incapable of any physical exertion.’’

-Paragraph 61 of statement

‘‘Christine Tumlinson discovered that her father had been administered midazolam whilst in the hospital. She does not accept there was any reason for this treatment to have been administered. Again, it was only after her father had passed away and she retrieved his medical notes and records that she discovered he had been administered midazolam.’’

-Paragraph 61 of statement

• Final statement of the group which i agree with in princinple however it has potentially chilling ramifications in future if this is in relation to obedience vs erroneous and harmful public health diktats and not specific towards those in power that conjure rules etc based on no science.

‘‘Where laws are infringed, including fundamental human rights that protect life or prohibit treatment that is inhumane or degrading, there should be mechanisms in place to identify and hold those responsible to account, even in an epidemic, pandemic or healthcare emergency situation. This includes not just the individuals who have infringed these laws, but also those in supervisory roles who have permitted this to occur. This is required to ensure that the law is implemented and effective in practice. This is also required to prevent any appearance that there is tolerance of acts which amount to life- endangering behaviour and/or may have resulted to death.’’

Thoughts

As per testimonies from the Scottish/Welsh bereaved groups and despite all the above evidence ‘COVID’ is largely still blamed for deaths by families in Northern Ireland due to the relaxing of and or lack of restrictions with inadequate levels of testing/ppe/IPC which allowed ‘COVID’ to spread and infect. Rather than the realisation it was the barbaric and illogical restrictions themselves that should have been resisted and avoided and these caused the most overall harm even upto death.

‘‘I believe visiting guidance across Hospitals and Social Care amounted to abuse (Inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) under Article 3 of the ECHR. The Social Care institute for Excellence (SUE) recognises different types of psychological and emotional abuse: 'enforced social isolation',’failure to respect privacy’,’preventing stimulation..." etc. SCIE also state different types of organisational or institutional abuse: "discouraging visits or the involvement of relatives or friends","lack of respect for dignity and privacy.’’

-Paragraph 63(h)

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Links:

Full statement- https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/26175153/INQ000360941.pdf

Full video- UK covid 19 Inquiry - Module 3 Hearing - 26 November 2024 PM

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/covid-inquiry-told-law-change-184316464.html