HOSPITAL chiefs have apologised after a series of errors in the care of pensioner - including failing to tell his family he was unlikly to survive.

Retired greengrocer Brian Pateman suffered five seizures at the Royal Blackburn Hospital which were 'all but ignored' by nurses on Ward C4, his family said.

Daughter Jeanette Pateman-Shepherd said she was also furious that a 'Do Not Resuscitate' order was made without her knowledge.

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She later discovered mistakes in her dad's medical notes, including an entry which said he had received medication the day after he died.

There was no evidence the failings contributed to the 74-year-old's death, which was caused by pneumonia, but Mrs Pateman-Shepherd said the errors were unacceptable.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has apologised to the family and said steps have been taken to address the issues that were raised in the case.

Mr Pateman, of West View in Clitheroe, had been admitted to the hospital on Thursday, May 1, after complaining of a chest infection, and his condition worsened by the Saturday, when he started suffering from violent seizures.

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Mrs Pateman-Shepherd, of Hayhurst Farm Terrace in Clitheroe, said: "Every time we got the nurse she would just see the end of the seizure and said it was down to a nebuliser he'd been given.

"But he had been shaking and screaming, his eyes rolled back and he'd gone unconscious. It was really serious and he shouldn’t have had to suffer like that.

“If the nurse on the day shift had listened to us he could have had an injection and maybe not had to suffer so much."

The family were told that the nurse was fairly new and would receive mentorship and support from senior staff to assess her 'interpersonal skills' over a three-month period.

In relation to Mr Pateman's deterioration, his daughter said: “They just kept telling us he was poorly but we were told he would be okay to go home. Afterwards we found out that his notes said he wasn’t going to make it, but we were never told that."

Mrs Pateman-Shepherd, 39, also criticised the hospital for agreeing a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation order with her dad, without also discussing this with his family, as he was in a frail state and may not have been fully aware of its significance.

Meanwhile, she said she was told by staff that only one junior doctor was looking after the ward over the weekend, and the failings 'wouldn’t have happened during the week’.

Mr Pateman, who died on Sunday, May 4, was a grandad-of-14, a great-grandad-of-two, and used to run a grocery shop in Bawdlands.

His family's complaints have since been investigated and they received a formal written response.

Julie Molyneaux, deputy chief nurse at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We again offer our sincere condolences to Mrs Pateman-Shepherd for the loss of her father.

"Mrs Pateman-Shepherd made a formal complaint to the trust, which was fully investigated and our findings were shared with her.

"We apologised for the issues that arose while her father was a patient and we explained how improvements would be made as a result of her complaint. It is regrettable that Mrs Pateman-Shepherd has now felt it necessary to go to the media.

“We would ask Mrs Pateman-Shepherd to get in touch with us if she has any further issues she would like us to look into and we would be happy to arrange another meeting.”

Earlier this year, the Lancashire Telegraph highlighted how patients and families were not always involved in important discussions about Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) orders.

Professional guidance had stated the orders should only be used after discussions with the patient or their family, but this became a legal duty following a landmark judgement in the Court of Appeal in June.