The family of a Dalton woman who died after a fall in Huddersfield Royal Infirmary are taking action against the hospital.
The Examiner revealed last week the infirmary had been warned that the death of Jeanne Summers, 78, could have been prevented.
Frail Jeanne, from Dalton, slipped and fell in a hospital toilet cubicle in 2013, badly breaking her ankle.
An official inquiry concluded the fall contributed to her death ten days later.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust was issued with a Regulation 28 warning letter by coroner Mary Burke.
It said Jeanne could have been avoided if she had been assisted all the way to the toilet and changed into more suitable footwear than the socks she was wearing.
Now Jeanne’s family have come forward to reveal they are making a negligence claim against the trust.
And they have voiced their frustrations at the hospital’s inquiry.
They say Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust has been guilty of a catalogue of failings and delays in reviewing their case.
They are now taking action through the NHS litigation authority.
Jeanne’s daughter, Jayne Summers, said: “At every stage, from the point where my mother went into hospital, we’ve found that the levels of communication and information from the trust have been very poor.
“The negligence associated with the fall in the toilet was the tip of the iceberg in our view.
“There has been reluctance on the part of the trust to communicate effectively with us ever since - at every stage of the complaints and investigation process – which only exacerbates the grief associated with her death.
“We feel as though my mother has been badly let down by the healthcare system and that the seemingly never ending delays which we have experienced in obtaining information since her death is not what you expect of the NHS.
“It has been a very frustrating couple of years as we seek redress from the trust,” added Jayne, whose views are shared by all of Jeanne’s family members.
Cynthia Marshall, solicitor with Heptonstalls who are representing Jayne and her father, commented: “This case highlights issues associated with delays and lack of communication from NHS trusts both before and after negligence claims have been made.
“In this instance the trust could have mitigated the frustrations and anger of our client by delivering effective and prompt liaison from the start, by making an early admission of liability and apologising to the family. But this has not happened.
“It is an issue that we come across again and again and we hope that the trust in question will learn from this and institute a more efficient and compassionate pathway to the resolution of issues of this kind.”
Director of Nursing at the trust, Julie Dawes, said: “ We would wish to take this opportunity to again send our apologies to Mrs Summers’ family.”
