Belfast Health and Social Care Trust has paid £40,000 in damages and costs to a family whose elderly mother died from septicaemia after doctors delayed diagnosing her broken hip.

BBC News reports that in January 2005, Lily Convill, 79, was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast with a suspected broken hip, after falling at home.

However, for 15 days staff at the hospital could not decide whether her hip was broken or not, during which time Mrs Convill – from the Donegall Road in south Belfast – developed a pressure sore on the heel of her foot.

Her family say that the sore grew larger until Mrs Convill’s entire heel turned black. Mrs Convill developed gangrene and septicaemia and died in the Royal Victoria Hospital seven months after she had first been admitted after her fall at home.

Mrs Convill’s son George said that his mother had suffered ‘a horrible death’. Her family say that she was not treated properly and as a result developed septicaemia and died.

The trust accepted liability and said in a statement that it ‘deeply regretted the distress felt by the Convill family’ – but was ‘not in a position’ to comment further.

Mrs Convill’s daughter Christina said that one of the most deeply distressing aspects of the case was knowing that her mother knew she was not receiving proper care in hospital:

“What she said to me was, “I can't believe I came in here with a broken hip and I'm either going to go out in a box or with my leg amputated – I just can't understand this”.’

Mrs Convill’s son added:

‘We were sorely let down and my mother paid for it with her life.’

The case was settled out-of-court on Monday (01/03/10), after the trust admitted negligence in the care of Mrs Convill.

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