A CORONER has called for action after a hospital failed to check a woman's heartbeat when she fainted, and who later died following heart surgery.
Senior coroner for Brighton and Hove Veronica Hamilton-Deeley has sent a rare report for the preventions of future deaths to an NHS trust, following the death of Janet Willcock on November 21 last year.
Mrs Willcock fainted on August 12 and suffered a head injury and a fractured wrist in the fall.
The 61-year-old went to A and E at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, but there was "no evidence" staff examined her heart with a stethoscope, according to Ms Hamilton-Deeley's report.
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When Mrs Willcock attended the hospital for day surgery on August 28, her heartbeat was not checked again, the report said.
Following an emergency admission to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on October 28 as she had chest pains, Mrs Willcock was diagnosed with a heart defect and surgery was arranged as soon as possible, for November 17.
Two days after the operation Mrs Willcock suffered a major stroke, which was identified and treated, but she died on November 21.
An inquest was held on March 31 in Brighton.
In her report addressed to University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Ms Hamilton-Deeley said the fact that Mrs Willcock's heart was not checked after she fainted in August was a "matter of concern".
She wrote: "The evidence I heard informed me that if it had been a new heart murmur it would have been heard which, taken with the syncope, should have resulted in an immediate referral to Cardiology.
"This failing represented a missed opportunity to diagnose and treat her aortic stenosis earlier.
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"In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths."
Ms Hamilton-Deeley added that she was satisfied the failing "did not change the outcome" for Mrs Willcock, however.
She concluded Mrs Willcock's death was a result of "a recognised complication - namely stroke - of appropriate surgery for critical sortic stenosis".
Dr Rob Haigh, Medical Director at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family of Mrs Willcock at this difficult time.
"The Trust has only recently received the Regulation 28 report and is working to provide a response within the specified timeframe.”
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