Letter from Sir Andrew Cash OBE

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Letter from Sir Andrew Cash OBE can be seen more clearly by clicking onto the 'file attachment' at bottom of page.

SIR ANDREW CASH OBE, Chief Executive of the NHS Sheffield Teaching Hospital Trust - nearly 4 years after the death of Thomas Milner, sends INCORRECT listing of times when the syringe driver (a morphine pump/drip) was set up and re-filled.

(The family of Thomas Milner were made aware of this MISLEADING letter from Sir Andrew Cash OBE, sent to their M.P. David Willetts AFTER Ms. Christine Beasley, Chief Nursing Officer and Government spokesperson had already apologised 4/9/09. In her apology she said she was sorry for Tom's 'inappropriate level of care at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital'. See CASE POINTS 'Christine Beasley, CNO, Apology'. This apology from the CNO came in response to the publication of the Patients Association Report 27/8/09, in which Tom's story was included.)

INCORRECT Medication Details from Sir Andrew Cash:

9/1/06 22.50 - Syringe Driver set up (10mgs. 24 hours) - Palliative Care ward

10/1/06 20.20 - Syringe Driver refilled (10mgs. 24 hours)

11/1/06 09.40 - Syringe Driver refilled (doubled) (20mgs. 24 hours)

The set up time is wrong as is the re-fill time -
WE HAVE THE MEDICAL NOTES, WE KNOW THE TRUTH!.

FACTUAL Medication Details from the Medical Notes:

9/1/06 2.00a.m. - Syringe Driver set up (10 mgs. 24 hours) - MAU Ward

10/1/06 06.40a.m. - Syringe Driver refilled (10mgs. 24 hours)
11/1/06 09.40a.m. - Syringe Driver DOUBLED (20mgs. 24 hours)

These erroneous dates try to detract from a GROSS ERROR that was made on the Palliative Care Ward, Northern General Hospital that forms part of the NHS Sheffield Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust.

This 'another medical blunder' is that the morphine syringe driver should have been increased/titrated to take into account any extra morphine that had been required in a preceeding 24 hour period. IT WASN'T! Between 2.00a.m.9/1/06 and 6.40a.m.10/1/06 (28 hours & 40 minutes) Tom had NEEDED 40mgs. of extra morphine (as 10mgs. in the syringe driver was NOT enough to keep him comfortable).

When the Palliative Care Consultant, named in Sir Andrew Cash's letter, did her ward round 10.30a.m. 10/1/06 (the syringe driver had been in situ for 32 1/2 hours) she DID NOT increase/titrate the morphine syringe driver/drip but left it holding JUST 10mgs.

The syringe driver for the whole period from set up until death - 55 Hours - was left holding just 10mg. morphine! The Healthcare Commission found this to be 'LOW IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES'.

Sir Andrew Cash OBE's letter also detracts and minimises the fact that on Thomas Milner's penultimate day 14 hours before death he was REFUSED any of his prescribed extra prn morphine.

Details of the actual set up, refill and extra morphine that was required, can also been seen under CASE POINTS in 'Medication Details - Factual' OR 'Our Reply to Andrew Cash'

We are still awaiting (14/10/09) a response from Sir Andrew Cash OBE as to how he could have got such important medication details SO WRONG!

GOD HELP US ALL AND SHAME ON THEM!

Sir Andrew Cash OBE

Sir Andrew Cash OBE, Knight of the Realm

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