Mary Fenton

1. 1. lack of cardiology consultant coverage after hours

   “Although Tameside Hospital holds itself out as performing pacemaker insertions, both temporary and permanent, no Cardiology Consultant is on call after 5.00pm or at week-ends. There is therefore no-one available to the junior staff having the requisite levels of skill and expertise to advise”

2. 2. absence of echocardiogram facility after hours

   “After 5.00pm there is no facility for an echocardiogram to be performed at the hospital”

3. 3. shortage of Isoprenaline

   “This patient was being kept alive by the use of Isoprenaline. It transpires that there were severe shortages of this drug in the hospital but also nationally. | was told that this drug is produced as an unlicensed drug by NHS Pharmaceutical Productions. If so why do they not ensure sufficient supply?”

4. 4. failure to assess mental capacity

   “There was a failure of the medical staff to assess and/or document the mental "capacity" of the patient”

5. 5. failure to obtain or document consent

   “There was a failure of the medical staff to obtain "consent" to treatment or to document why such consent was unavailable and why they were "self-”

6. 6. absence of qualified staff to fit pacing wires

   “Despite this being a major District General Hospital providing cardiology cover for a large proportion of the population of Greater Manchester, there is no-one with the skill or qualification to fit "temporary/permanent" pacing wires”

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