A GREAT grandmother spent her final days in hospital in “severe pain” after falling and breaking her pelvis – which her family claim was not x-rayed for two days.

Jean Amesbury suffered at least five falls in a five week stay at Llandough Hospital, Penarth, between March and April last year, her family say.

She broke her pelvis in her last fall at the hospital – but Jean’s family say it took two days for an x-ray to take place and for doctors to discover this.

Jean died just days later, aged 81 – her family says she was in severe pain on the ward and not regularly attended to in the final days of her life.

Her family is now calling for lessons to be learned from her death after it emerged patients are suffering serious falls – and in some cases dying from their injuries – at Cardiff and Vale hospitals.

Jean’s widower Gordon Amesbury, 87, who lives in Rumney in Cardiff,  said the hospital had “neglected” his wife of 63 years and hopes the same will not happen to other patients. 

He said: “When Jean went into Llandough there was so much neglect. She had so many falls while she was in there.

“Jean is dead – we’re not going to get her back all of a sudden. I’m so upset because she was my mate. But she should not have gone the way she did.

“All I’m concerned about is the neglect that happened to my wife and I don’t want it to happen to others. They have to put it right.”

Jean, who had two daughters, three granddaughters and two great-grandsons, died in Llandough on April 20 2018.

Her death certificate records bronchopneumonia, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and a pelvic fracture as the causes of her death.

Jean’s family has raised concerns about how she had been supervised when she was in hospital – and say she also fell in the toilet while she was unattended, and in another incident her granddaughter found her on the floor by the side of the bed.

The health board met with Jean’s family and agreed a number of changes – such as all falls being investigated thoroughly and staff being reminded to respond to patients in a timely manner.

In a resolution meeting between Jean’s family, lead nurses and ward managers, the health board also resolved to  introduce use of high-low beds, review patients care plans following any fall, ensure pain charts are up to date and a change to staffing levels in acute care.

Because of this meeting the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales decided not to investigate this case further.

Between November and December last year, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, which also manages University Hospital Wales, reported seven falls where patients suffered serious injury – two of whom died.

Of the 4,960 falls reported between November 2017 and December 2018, 95 per cent resulted in no harm, or minor harm.

A spokeswoman for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “We understand this has been a very sad and difficult time for Mr Amesbury.

“Following our investigation we have put an improvement plan in place which we will be sharing an updated version with Mr Amesbury to show progress in how the health board is addressing issues of concern and to prevent anyone else coming to harm.”