'Improvements' have been made to care, says chief medical officer

The chief medical officer at a hospital where a stroke unit patient was so violently sexually assaulted she died from her injuries say “improvements” have been made to care offered by staff.

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Dr Neil Hartley Smith, chief medical officer at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals addressed the inquest examining the death of 75-year-old Valerie Kneale at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in November 2018.

The inquest heard troubling evidence about gaps in record keeping, staffing pressures and unanswered questions surrounding Mrs Kneale final hours.

Nurses and doctors giving statements admitted they had little or no memory of caring for Mrs Kneale with some unable to recognise her or recall crucial details of her treatment.

One nurse described feeling “extremely guilty” at not remembering Valerie, acknowledging that they were “extremely short staffed” at the time.

Expert witnesses highlighted serious documentation issues with missing neuro-observations, absent end-of-life notes and suggestions that some records may have been lost or destroyed.

Dr Hartley Smith said: “We are seeing an improving trend with the record keeping.