Woman died after hospital spent six hours trying to call her GP to request for help

Barbara Osbladeston, 64, was discovered dead at her home, despite having recently undertaken blood tests at the Royal Preston Hospital, which showed she had critically low potassium levels

A woman has died at home after doctors could not reach her GP for six hours to ensure she went to hospital straight away.

Barbara Osbladeston, 64, was discovered dead at her home in Sutton Drive, in Lea near Preston on November 9 last year. She was born in Southport, and recently discovered she had critically low potassium levels after undergoing blood tests at the Royal Preston Hospital, Lancashire Live reports.

Hospital staff tried to call Miss Osbaldeston's GP, but were waiting for six hours because the phone line "was constantly engaged". When they finally managed to speak to someone at the Park Medical Practice in Ashton-on-Ribble, Miss Osbaldeston's GP attempted to call her, however there was no answer and she was found dead.

Earlier this year, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Preston Hospital, revealed that a rapid review investigation had been launched after clinicians raised concerns over Miss Osbaldeston's care.

An inquest at Preston Coroner's Court heard that Miss Osbaldeston, a retired industrial machinist, died from coronary artery disease and hypokalaemia - low potassium. Bowel cancer was recorded as a contributory factor.

Area Coroner Kate Bisset returned a narrative conclusion and said: "Barbara Osbaldeston died on November 9, 2022, at her home address. She had previously had bowel cancer resulting in a stoma which later developed high output, triggering episodes of low potassium and sodium.

"Following hospital admissions in September and October 2022, Miss Osbaldeston underwent blood tests which revealed low potassium levels. The hospital laboratory attempted to contact Miss Osbaldeston's GP to communicate an urgent need to attend hospital for treatment but the phone line was engaged consistently so it took six hours for that result to be communicated to the GP surgery.

"Following the results from the laboratory, the GP surgery attempted to contact Miss Osbaldeston from 4.40pm onwards but were unable to reach her and thus her low potassium was untreated and contributed to her death."