Gran ‘starved to death in hospital’

London - Hospital staff have been accused of starving a grandmother to death after failing to feed her for four days.

Hildegard Mikalansky, 67, was admitted after a fall and designated as “nil by mouth” by medics due to a risk of choking.

However, it took four days before she was given a feeding tube to supply her with much-needed nutrients.

By then, the mother of two’s condition had worsened and she died the following day.

Her son Mike Stringer, a company director, said: “I saw a vulnerable but vivacious and warm lady deteriorate rapidly and die in that hospital.”

At her inquest, the coroner criticised Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire for the delay and for allowing her care to “drift” after a bank holiday weekend.

Stringer said: “Although my mother had some underlying problems such as multiple sclerosis, she was essentially starved to death.

“She just slipped through the cracks. Everyone kept saying she needed food and that she was malnourished but nothing was done.”

Mikalansky, who was divorced from her husband John, was admitted to hospital late on May 29 last year, a bank holiday weekend.

Stringer and his sister Kim, a philosophy academic, had gone to visit their mother and found her in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs. Doctors had initially focused on a head injury and fractured ribs, but Stringer, 41, said he raised concerns about his mother’s nutrition from the outset.

“She was naturally slim, and prior to her admission had not really been eating enough due to tiredness from her MS. We constantly prompted staff with regard to feeding and eating because mum was thin and ate little. We were concerned it may well get ignored as catering staff tend to just leave food and collect it later.

“We could see the situation was getting more serious each day.”

The inquest heard Mikalansky ate some supper on May 30, the day after her admission, but was then sick several times. The following morning she had some breakfast, but was designated “nil by mouth” due to a risk of choking on her food at some point on Tuesday, June 1.

By Thursday she had developed ketoacidosis - a serious condition caused through malnutrition when acid levels in the blood become dangerously high.

When eventually a feeding tube was fitted on the Friday evening, it took a further 16 hours for it to be activated because an X-ray to check the position of the tube had not been done.

Stringer said: “When I arrived on the Saturday morning and asked why it hadn’t been done, we were told the X-ray department was busy and didn’t deem her urgent. She was dead in 24 hours.”

Doctors at the inquest described Mikalansky, of Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire, as “gaunt” and suggested she had a history of alcoholism and malnutrition - all of which Stringer disputes.

Coroner Richard Hulett recorded a narrative verdict and raised concerns that it took four days for Mrs Mikalansky to receive food direct to her stomach through the tube.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust said in a statement: “Mrs Mikalansky was admitted to hospital with a head injury and chronic malnourishment. Staff were concerned about her very low weight and specialist feeding assessments were arranged.

“However, Mrs Mikalansky quickly developed serious complications and sadly, despite treatment, she later died.” - Daily Mail