Scottish COVID-19 inquiry Impact hearing | Health and social care | 8 December 2023 (morning session)

This session features a very powerful testimony by Mr.William Jolly from the Scottish COVID Bereaved Group who's father was placed on morphine and midazolam.

Introduction

William’s father, a dementia sufferer, sadly died after testing positive for COVID-19 on 26 April 2020 aged 88. He had suffered fall whilst in a care home and it was also believed he was suffering from a urine infection therefore placed on anti-biotics then admitted to hospital. He was subsequently tested for COVID and found to be positive on April 12th.

Power of attorney

At that point Aberdeen Royal Infirmary were able to take full command rendering Mr.Jolly’s power of attorney over his father ‘irrelevant’.

‘‘On the 12 April 2020, an ARI doctor, a lady, called meand told me that the ARI were now taking over all the decision-making inrelation to my father because of his very confused condition and his dementia.’’ - Paragraph 51 of statement

‘‘They told me that my Power of Attorney was irrelevant they had "special powers", they would make all decisions on behalf of my father. They didn't tell me what these special powers were but said they had full authority to deal with my father's situation.’’ -Paragraph 52 of statement

Falls

William’s father fell several more times at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He was never sent for a brain scan to check for internal injuries. He was remarkably then discharged disfigured and double incontinent back into the care home COVID positive despite pleas from Mr.Jolly this was wrong.

Midazolam

On the 19th of April, 7 days before his father’s death Mr.Jolly was informed by the care home his father would now be placed on end of life medications.

“He had been shouting out for help when he went in at first but once he was pumped full of ‘be quiet drugs’ he was dead within 10 days.” - Daily Record report

‘‘I got called by the care home to say that my dad was failing. He was agitated and shouting for help, he had been up wandering into other rooms. So he was still mobile. They had found him on his hands and knees trying to get to the toilet.’’

‘‘I was then told they would introduce end-of-life medication, midazolam and, if needed, morphine. I was shocked.’’

More falls

2 days after the call about Midazolam William’s father was suffering yet more falls in the care home. It was mentioned there was never any discussion with the home about placing his father on end of life care. This was decided without the family.

‘‘I found out that midazolam is not a particularly nice drug, some practitoners referred it to being waterboarded because it floods the lungs.’’

‘‘In my opinion it was almost like a random decision to keep him quiet..keep him in isolation in a room in a comatose state.’’

‘‘I was so stressed with what was going on. One minute I think my dad's dying, the next minute he's going about the home entering other rooms, going to the toilet. The end-of-life medication was being randomly used, in my view.’’

End of life

In his statment Mr.Jolly explains in more detail that his father was certainly not at death’s door prior to the administration of the end of life medications.

‘‘My father was still active, he was trying to get out of bed, shouting for help, saying his hands were cold. Why then, within a matter of days of having been sitting in a chair, having breakfast was he being given midazolam and morphine? One of the comments on my dad's notes was that he had walked down to somebody else's room.’’

-Paragraph 113 of statement

COVID-19 cause of death disputed

After the death, Mr.Jolly disputed the cause on the death certificate feeling the serious falls his father suffered should have been a consideration in his decline. But this was dismissed.

‘‘I said, "what about all these serious head injuries, why did you put Covid-19"? She said that he did have Covid-19 and he was not a well man. She referred to the head injuries as a consequence of existing health conditions. I asked if she had seen him in person on discharge and witnessed his injuries. She hadn't seen photos of him either.’’-Paragraph 126 of statement

‘‘Why was my dad discharged from ARI? He was horribly injured, with live Covid, it felt to me like he was a neglected patient and written off.’’ -Paragraph 150 of statement

Concluding remarks

In his concluding remarks to the inquiry Mr.Jolly cites his displeasure at the competence of Scottish Government officials.

‘‘My family and many others including the COVID bereaved believe the Scottish COVID inquiry has been compromised.’’

‘‘I have little faith that will happen. With the performance of the Scottish Government we've had over the last while..

…from the former and present First Minister down, they seem to get away with murder.’’

- Paragraph 172 of statement

End

UPDATE

Mr Jolly issued me with an update 11/03/2024 through x/twitter and would like to share the following.

Links:

Full statement- https://www.covid19inquiry.scot/sites/default/files/ev-documents/sci-wt0254-000001.pdf

Ful video-YouTube Scottish COVID-19 inquiry Impact hearing | Health and social care | 8 December 2023 (morning session)

Jan 2024 Bill Jolly TNT interview- https://twitter.com/biologyphenom/status/1755599191789949016

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/grieving-son-fights-justice-dads-30225201

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-care-home-boss-lied-31631832

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-68032233