The piece of catheter found inside James Giles, which had been left there for two years. Release date ¿ February 24, 2025. Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has apologised after an 85-year-old man died following poor care, which saw a catheter left inside him for two years. Mr James Giles, of Kingsthorpe, died on July 5, […][/caption]
A GRANDAD died in agony after a piece of catheter was left stuck inside him for more than two years.
Dementia patient James Giles, 85, was ravaged by infections and suffered from sepsis after the medical tube snapped inside his urethra.
James Giles was ravaged by infections after a medical tube snapped inside his urethra[/caption]
He died three months after the tube was removed[/caption]
Shockingly, doctors and medical staff failed to spot the broken catheter which remained lodged inside him between 2021 and last April.
They eventually discovered the tube following a CT scan and removed it but James died three months later in July.
At the time of his death he weighed just five stone as a result of multiple infections which left him struggling to eat.
James’ devastated family have now received an apology from University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Trust.
His grandson Aidan Giles, 33, said: “We were shocked and devastated when we found out.
“It was in his urethra and it was stuck in there and went to the edge of his bladder.
“He had one and it wasn’t in properly, then they put in another later. We know it wasn’t in properly and he started to hallucinate.
“My grandfather was bed-bound and his world was slowly going because of this stuck catheter.
“When he passed away I think he was about five stone, he’d lost 13 stone despite being six feet.”
The family has grave concerns about patient care at Northampton General Hospital.
There are numerous issues, but the most glaring is that doctors failed to remove the catheter fragment.
“We were told they didn’t believe the scan,” Aidan said.
“Instead, my grandfather was repeatedly given antibiotics to fight off a UTI when, in reality, the retained catheter was causing scarring, persistent infections, and at least one episode of sepsis.”
James who had a grandson and two great-grandchildren, was admitted to Northampton General Hospital in November 2021 after having trouble urinating.
His family say he became virtually immune to the effects of antibiotics and pushed for a full-body scan after being left puzzled by the repeated infections and weakened state.
But hospital staff allegedly refused the scan and instead opted to place him on end-of-life care, his family claim.
The piece of catheter found inside James, which had been left there for two years[/caption]
Northampton General Hospital where the grandad was treated – and died[/caption]
After a two-year battle a CT scan was finally carried out and the broken piece of catheter was discovered and removed in April last year.
Aidan added: “He was such a trooper but he must have been in a lot of pain.
“He had sepsis and they kept putting him on end-of-life care. They said because he was sleeping all the time he needed this palliative care.
“There was something in there and they didn’t do anything about it.
I have no doubts that him having it inside him brought him closer to death
Aidan Giles
“His kidneys were ruined because he couldn’t urinate properly. He had bed sores and sores and infections everywhere.
“We believe this could have been mitigated if they had taken this catheter out.
“He was struggling, he was struggling with pain and breathing. It wasn’t nice for him.
“He was basically immune to antibiotics. He was so frail. He couldn’t fight anymore.
“I have no doubts that him having it inside him brought him closer to death.”
At the time of his death he weighed just five stone as a result of multiple infections which left him struggling to eat[/caption]
The cause of death listed on James’ death certificate is old age and frailty, along with dementia, cardiac failure and diabetes.
An inquest into his death will take place in August.
Julie Hogg, Chief Nurse at University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Trust, said: “I met with Mr Giles recently to offer my apologies for the care that his grandfather received and our poor communication with his family subsequently, we should have done better.
“We provide care for hundreds of thousands of patients each year and, while many experience good care, we know that unfortunately we don’t always get it right for everyone.
“We are absolutely committed to listening to our patients and making things better.”
What are the symptoms of sepsis?
SEPSIS is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that happens when your immune system overreacts and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs.
Symptoms of sepsis in an adult include:
- Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
Symptoms in a child include:
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribcage), breathlessness or breathing very fast
- A weak, high-pitched cry that’s not like their normal cry
- Not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal activities
- Being sleepier than normal or having difficulty waking
They may not have all these symptoms.
If you think you or someone else has symptoms of sepsis, call 999 or go to A&E.
Source: NHS
