Medic apologises after inquest told man died after he was discharged from Shropshire A&E

Robert Turnbull, an associated specialist at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, apologised for the failings at an inquest on Trevor Dinsdale.

Mr Turnbull told the inquest the 68-year-old was admitted to the hospital on October 3 at 2.15am after a fall at his home in Leegomery, Telford. He was then sent to have a CT scan.

After seeing the results of the scan Mr Turnbull sent Mr Dinsdale home. But he admitted he missed vital information on the scan, which should have led to Mr Dinsdale remaining in hospital for observations.

Dr Edwin Borman, medical director at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: "The trust is very concerned about the death of Mr Dinsdale and we extend our condolences to his family.

"Our own review identified areas where clinical decisions should have been different and these will be acted on."

Mr Dinsdale died on October 23 at Royal Stoke University Hospital after being admitted with a fractured back.

Shropshire coroner John Ellery gave a narrative conclusion, stating that Mr Dinsdale's death might have been prevented. The inquest heard the cause of death was recorded as a stroke.

Mr Turnbull said he did not check Mr Dinsdale's International Normalised Ratio (INR) level which shows how long it takes for blood to clot. "I am at a loss as to why I did not check the INR but it was very busy that night," he said.

"I admit the mistake was sending him home and I am so sorry. In A&E we are under so much pressure at the moment to meet targets set by NHS England, that maybe if we weren't under the amount of pressure we are I may have noticed the INR levels."

Trevor Dinsdale's son Anthony told an inquest that he did not recall being told anything to help his father recover.

He said: "I do not recall at that time any head injury advice being given about a head injury.

"We were given painkillers for his back, which was causing him a lot of pain.

"My father was unable to walk due to his back, and we had to move his single bed downstairs in his house."

But he thanked staff at the hospital for everything they did while his father was there.

"I am not saying he would have survived as it is the nature of a lost opportunity, but what I am saying is that Mr Dinsdale's death may have been preventable had procedures been followed.

"There was a failure of care which led to loss of opportunity to investigate and treat – if that was taken it is possible Mr Dinsdale may have lived.

"The hospital trust has been criticised about what happened here, however the reasons given are outside of the inquest as that goes into hospital policy."