Death of mum who overdosed while in hospital was 'avoidable'

The death of a mum who died from an overdose while in hospital could have been avoided, an inquiry has found.

Elizabeth McCready, 49, passed away at Glasgow Royal Infirmary on June 30, 2018.

Ms McCready was admitted to the hospital on June 21 as a result of a mixed drug overdose.

She was then admitted informally to the city’s Stobhill Hospital after travelling there by a taxi with a nurse escort.

The mum-of-three was then placed under general observations and was not detained at the hospital.

A probe into Ms McCready’s death heard that a normal possessions check was not carried out on her.

Sheriff Diana McConnell told the Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI): “The significant clinical incident investigation which took place after her death concluded that it is possible she brought [the drugs] into the ward with her.

“It concluded that the lack of a possessions check may have contributed to the incident which led to Ms McCready’s death.”

Glasgow Sheriff Court was told that Ms McCready was off the ward on June 24 which had not been documented in the nurse’s notes.

She had also told staff that “death was the only thing that could make things better” for her.

The day before her death, Ms McCready reportedly slept for the majority of it and refused morning medication.

She was found unresponsive on June 29 and there was a delay in getting to her due to a switchboard error which has since been recitified.

Ms McCready was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary while in a “confused and disorientated” state.

She was placed in the intensive care unit where she was put on a form of life support but her condition did not improve.

Her life was pronounced extinct at 8.40pm on June 30 with a cause of death determined as “multi organ failure”.

The sheriff told the court in her determination that she was unable to conclude how Ms McCready came to be in possession of drugs on the ward.

She said: “In my view, there was a realistic possibility that a proper possessions check adequately recorded would have been able to discover such medication in her possession, leading for it to be removed and stored securely.

“It is a matter of agreement between parties that the undertaking of a possions check was a precaution which might reasonably have been taken.

“It is my finding that failure to carry out a possessions check was a precaution which could reasonably have been taken and had it been taken might realistically have resulted in Ms McCready’s death being avoided.”

The hearing was told that a July 2022 audit found that all wards reported that patient belongings are always checked.

Staff have also logged items that have been removed as a safety risk.

The sheriff finally stated that due to the steps taken by the Greater Glasgow Health Board, she makes no recommendations.

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