Havering Council issues apology over 'unacceptable' death of disabled man

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Local Government and also in Health

Mark Cannon's mother today welcomed the ombudsmen's report and said her son was discriminated against because he was disabled.

Mr Cannon, 30, was epileptic and had a severe learning difficulty which meant he had very little speech.

His mother Anne Handley said: "I think he was treated as a nuisance because he was making a lot of noise as he was in pain.

"He was discriminated against because he was disabled.

"I believe, because he couldn't cope with the pain his body went into trauma and it put him on a spiral. No-one would listen to us. My son shouldn't have died."

In June 2003 Mr Cannon broke his leg at a council care home and died eight weeks later, despite receiving hospital treatment.

The Health Service and Local Government Ombudsmen ruled Mr Cannon's death was a result of mistakes by the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust and Havering Council in east London.

Mr Cannon lived at home with this mother, stepfather and sister, with occasional stays at the Grange care home, Havering.

It was at the Grange that he broke his thigh bone. The cause of this injury remains unknown but the ombudsmen upheld the parents' complaint that their son was provided with inadequate care by the council and this led to his injury and death.

Mr Cannon was admitted to the now closed Oldchurch Hospital, Romford, three times between June and August 2003. During the first admission he underwent surgery to repair his broken leg, and he was readmitted because his condition deteriorated while he was at home.

The ombudsmen found that he was left in "severe pain and great distress for prolonged periods of time", and on one occasion junior doctors made a decision that he should not be resuscitated if he collapsed. This was inappropriate and did not conform with the law or professional guidance. It was also found he was twice discharged without due concern for his safety.

A complaint against the Healthcare Commission was also upheld, finding that the regulator's review of a complaint by Mr Cannon's parents was "unreliable and unsafe".

Mrs Handley wants the ruling to lead to a change in procedures.

She said: "I hope it's not going to be swept under the carpet, and that something is going to be done.

"I'd like to see nurses and doctors trained to deal with disabled people who can't speak for themselves.

"Instead of looking at parents as interfering, we're trying to help. But they seem to think we're telling them what to do.

"If we work together it's for the benefit of everyone, especially the patient."

She added: "It was devastating. Hopefully we can move on now and put our son to rest."

A council spokesman said: "Havering Council would like to apologise again to Mr Cannon's family, both for the quality of care that Mr Cannon received at the Grange six years ago, when he broke his leg, and for the further distress caused to them while pursuing their complaints to the council.

"We accept the Ombudsman's view that the quality of care that Mr Cannon received at the Grange on the night he injured his leg was not of an acceptable standard. It is a matter of extreme regret to us that complications during his treatment in hospital resulted in his untimely death and we fully understand the grief that his parents felt and still feel to this day.

"Since the incident in 2003, we have made changes in our respite care procedures for adults with learning disabilities."

The NHS Trust could not be contacted for comment.