Coroner urges hospital bosses to meet with family of woman who died after 'life-saving' procedure

Housewife Megan Jane Thickens, aged 88, who lived in Baschurch, died at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford on July 14, 2022 after she had walked into the hospital on July 6 and was admitted.

A mass was found in her throat and she had what was described by medics as a "life-saving" tracheostomy. But the family raised questions over her treatment.

Shropshire & Telford senior coroner John Ellery said that medics had at first disagreed with each other about the cause of her death. Dr Srinivasa Rangan had said she had suffered a bleed due to the tracheostomy.

But Mr Marc Donnai disagreed, saying the tracheostomy had not been related to her death.

Her death would then have been due to natural causes and not required an inquest.

Coroner Mr Ellery asked Trisha McSkeane, the head of legal services at the Shrewsbury & Telford Hospitals Trust (SaTH), why a meeting had not taken place between the family and medics between the formal opening of proceedings on July 21 and Tuesday's full inquest.

Ms McSkeane said for various reasons she "didn't follow up on email."

Mr Ellery decided to discuss the issues further with senior hospital staff on a video link.

"We are where we are, I will proceed with the inquest," he said.

Mr Ellery was told that Dr Rangan deferred to Mr Donnai because he was better qualified as a head and neck cancer consultant.

But the family did not accept that and believed that Dr Rangan's assessment had been correct. Adrian Thickens, the patient's son, was given the chance to put family questions to the medical panel.

Mr Thickens was told that his mother was given a tracheostomy as a "life-saving" surgical procedure.

Mr Ellery agreed with medical opinion that it had been "necessary and appropriate" and did not cause her death and without it she "would have died earlier".

He concluded that her death had been down to natural causes. That meant an inquest need never have been held.

But he added: "The meeting with the family can still be held. The care and treatment can still be discussed at a meeting."

He added: "Who is to make a meeting happen? Someone needs to contact Mr Thickens by email.

"There has been a breakdown in communication. If there had been communication it may have ceased today's proceedings completely."

He apologised to the family members in the court at Shirehall, in Shrewsbury.

"I am sorry it has taken this long to get to this point."

The hospital trust representatives agreed that a meeting could still be held.