Macclesfield Hospital lost a patient’s medical notes as he battled the rare disease which killed him, an inquest heard.
Bollington chef and dad-of-three Giancarlo Porcelli, 57, died at Crewe’s Leighton Hospital on September 2, 2008, suffering from, among other things, severe pneumonia and a rare skin disorder, which had caused his face to go bright red.
East Cheshire NHS Trust yesterday admitted that the loss of records relating to his time as an inpatient in 2008 was ‘totally unacceptable’. They also admitted a monitoring error which has led to a change in observation protocol.
Mr Porcelli had been transferred from Macclesfield Hospital – where medical notes for August 12 to 15 have still not been found – because no intensive care bed was available.
Speaking after the inquest, Janet Wardle, his partner of 18 years, said his face felt like it was ‘on fire’ and the eight months of his illness had been ‘sheer hell’.
The former chef, who stopped working due to ill health, was first thought to have an allergy after developing swollen eyes in February 2008, the inquest at Macclesfield Town Hall heard on Friday.
Family friend Helen Stevenson, of Windsor Close, Bollington, told the inquest: "We watched him die and repeatedly asked for intervention and that is why we are so bitter and so angry."
Macclesfield Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg recorded a verdict of death due to natural causes.
He concluded that Mr Porcelli died of acute interstitial pneumonia and intercerebral haemorrhage, and an undifferentiated connected tissue disease, with swelling around the heart a contributory factor.
Janet, of Princess Drive, Bollington, added: "It was eight months of living in sheer hell. How he lasted as long as he did I will never know. He was brave and I couldn’t do anything to help."
A East Cheshire NHS Trust statement said:"The trust recognises that the loss of a section of Mr Porcelli’s notes is totally unacceptable." "During 12 August 2008, Mr Porcelli’s observations were not monitored appropriately for a 12 hour period. The trust has since put in place a ‘Track and Trigger’ process on all wards which tracks a patient’s observation scores and triggers senior clinical expertise if a certain score is reache. The trust has noted that one external independent report identified that a follow up chest x-ray should have been taken. Two other external reports concluded that the actions taken regarding Mr Porcelli’s treatment were appropriate."
