Laura Griffiths died suddenly on December 31, 2019, following surgery at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, to fix a broken ankle
A mum’s lips turned blue and she was struggling to breathe before tragically passing away following a routine operation. Medical staff recounted the harrowing moments when Laura Griffiths, who had undergone surgery for a broken ankle sustained during a night out, collapsed unexpectedly the morning after her procedure.
Laura Griffiths, 35, from WestYorkshire, died suddenly on December 31, 2019, after being admitted to Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, for an operation to repair her ankle with a plate and screws. The mother of two had the surgery on December 30, following the injury from a fall on a night out on December 14. She was recovering in a ward at Pinderfields and had a ‘settled’ night but took a turn for the worse around 8am the next day, an inquest was told.
Nurse Lauren Ward, in her statement, recalled hearing a ‘snore-like’ noise at about 7.50am and immediately felt concerned as she knew no one on the ward should be asleep. She observed Laura “appeared to be fitting” and upon speaking to her, Laura expressed difficulty breathing and her lips were noted to be blue.
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Oxygen was administered and the emergency ‘crash’ team was called in. Nurse Ward noted that Laura was “in distress but responding when the crash team arrived”, they told Yorkshire Live.
However, Laura’s condition ‘deteriorated further’ even with the crash team there, and CPR commenced at 7.59am. After being stabilised, Laura was moved to intensive care around 9.45am, the nurse stated.
Consultant anaesthetist Dr Stephen Fletcher recounted that the surgery to mend Laura’s ankle and her initial recovery overnight were ‘uneventful’, but by 8am she was in acute respiratory distress. He detailed how the cardiac arrest team responded swiftly, and initially, Laura could converse with a nursing sister, expressing her fear that she “felt as though she was going to die.”
Despite the medical team’s efforts, administering adrenaline and performing heart massage, and treating a detected blood clot behind her knee, Laura tragically passed away later that same evening.
The first day of the inquest, which took place on Monday, revealed that Laura’s family harbours serious concerns regarding the care she received at Pinderfields Hospital. Laura’s grieving parents, Dennis and Cath, are convinced that the healthcare staff failed their daughter, who lived in the village of Almondbury near Huddersfield, and have posed numerous questions about the events at the hospital. They have legal representation at the inquest.
Among the family’s inquiries is the question of why Laura’s operation was conducted by a specialist trainee rather than the consultant who was scheduled to perform the surgery. They also question whether there should have been heightened vigilance regarding the risk of blood clots, given Laura’s increased susceptibility to such complications.
Cath, Laura’s mother, has stated that her daughter’s death was an immense shock and has left everyone devastated. According to the grieving mum, “many missed opportunities by numerous health professionals” were encountered during their struggle for Laura’s treatment.
Paying a heartfelt tribute, Cath described her daughter as being “determined, loyal, funny, stroppy, loving, supportive, dedicated, caring, courageous and strong.”
The inquest has been adjourned until later this year by assistant coroner Angela Brocklehurst, allowing time for two hospital medics to provide evidence at hearing’s continuation.
