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

Barbara Osbaldeston was found dead at her home after the hospital labaratory spent hours trying to call her doctor's surgery.

A woman in desperate need of medical attention died in her home after hospital staff were unable to get through to her GP surgery for six hours. Barbara Osbaldeston was found dead at her home in Lea, near Preston, on November 9, 2022.

The 64-year-old had previously undergone blood tests at the Royal Preston Hospital. When the results came back, she was found to have critically low levels of potassium, Lancs Live reports.

When laboratory staff tried to call Barbara's GP, they found the phone line "constantly engaged" and they were unable to get through for six hours, an inquest heard.

Eventually, their call to Park Medical Practice in Ashton-on-Ribble was answered and Barbara's doctor attempted to ring her, but there was no answer. She was later 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 Barbara's care.

The inquest at Preston Coroner's Court last week heard that Barbara, a retired industrial machinist, died from coronary artery disease and hypokalemia - low potassium. Bowel cancer was recorded as a contributory factor.

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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.

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"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."

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