downsmail.co.uk


Cancer victim ‘ignored’ inweeks before death


A WIDOW claims her late husband was misdiagnosed and disrespected by healthcare staff in the weeks before his death. Joan Godding has lodged a for-


mal complaint against the hospital trust after she battled to get her husband Brian into Pembury Hos- pital after Maidstone diagnosed his cancer as soft tissue damage and arthritis. Crippled with pain and too ill to


travel in a car, Mr Godding (77) spent hours waiting for ambu- lances and sitting in A&E waiting rooms, racked with pain. In desperation, his family even


left him on a hospital trolley after staff refused to admit him to hos- pital, despite being given specific instructions to do so from their GP. “This was an absolutely heart- breaking thing for us to do,” said Mrs Godding, of Priory Close, East Farleigh. “We will forever be haunted by leaving him ill, in pain, unwell and alone. However, we knew we had to do this; it was the only way.” The family wants a written apol-


ogy for the treatment Mr Godding received in Maidstone and Tun- bridge Wells hospitals and a thor- ough investigation into the case. The retired father of two, who worked his whole career for Teston-based grounds and land- scape company Turfsoil Ltd, had been suffering from shingles for eightweeks when hewas suddenly gripped by a crippling pain in his thigh inAugust last year. Following an X-ray at Maidstone Hospital, hewas told itwas soft tis- sue damage. In agony, he returned to the hospital four days later, only to be told he had not allowed suffi- cient time for it to heal. Ten days later, when Mr God-


ding’s speech became slurred, his wife feared he had suffered a stroke. Paramedics said they could not take him to Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury so GP Dr Gra- ham Makey faxed the hospital, ar- ranging for him to be taken there by ambulance and admitted for an MRI scan. The ambulance arrived five


hours later – but the hospital claimed no arrangement had been made for him to be admitted. It was at this point Mrs Godding


and her two daughters Susan and Debra made the heart-wrenching decision to walk out. Ifwe had taken him home at that


point, it would only have been to start the whole process of trying to find him the help he needed again the next day,” said Mrs Godding. “Even if we had wanted to take


“Where was the NHS, which he contributed to all his working life, when he needed it?”


Joan Godding, pictured with husband Brian


him home, how wouldwe?Hewas too ill to go in the car and we had already learned that thewait for an ambulance was five hours.” The hospital found the missing


fax from Dr Makey the next day. “Therewas never an apology by


the hospital to Brian, myself or my family for their error. Itwas just ex- pected that patients and their fam- ilies will put up with their mistakes and incompetence,” Mrs Godding said. “We knew that there was something seriously wrong with Brian and yet nobody at Maidstone or Pembury hospital was listen- ing.” An eventual MRI scan revealed


that Mr Godding had cancer on his colon, in his lungs, liver, fatty tis- sue in his stomach and that he had a cancerous tumour on his thigh. The cancer was terminal. A devastated Mrs Godding arranged for help to get her hus- band home. She said: “We did not want to


block a bed,we did notwant to use the hospital’s resources. All we ever wanted was a diagnosis so that we could get him the medical attention he so needed and de- served.” Two weeks later, Mr Godding


was admitted to Maidstone Hospi- tal after falling four times in five days. He was later transferred to the Heart of Kent Hospice, where he died on October 1. Mrs Godding said: “Brian’s care


there was exemplary. He, along with us, was cared for with com- passion, respect, expertise, profes- sionalism and dignity.” Just 27 days after his diagnosis,


Mr Godding died. His widow said: “It was thoroughly heart-breaking to see this strong, proud man dis- respected when he was old and vulnerable. “Where was the NHS, which he contributed to all his working life, when he needed it? “Maidstone and Pembury hospi-


tals’ treatment of Brian and our family has exacerbated our anxiety and stress and has negatively im- pacted upon our grieving process. “It is clear to us that the NHS service consists of professional people, who are working under challenging constraints. “However, it would appear that


they are ‘fire-fighting’ andwe now have a health service devoid of care, empathy, patient respect and traditional nursing values.” Mrs Godding has sent copies of


her complaint to Maidstone MP Helen Grant and the leaders of Kent and Maidstone councils, as well as Dr Bob Bowes, the chair- man of the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group. As the Downs Mail went to


press, she was due to have a meet- ing with a trust representative.  A Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust spokesperson said: “We extend our deepest sym- pathies to Mr Godding's family for their loss.


“The trust can confirm that a let- ter has been received from the family regarding their complaint and we are due to meet with them to investigate what happened. It would therefore be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time.”


News


Making the most of your


golden years THE Wrinkly Roadshow is on its way to Headcorn.


Aimed at those who are at or nearing retirement, or those with elderly parents, the roadshow is designed to show all the opportu- nities on offer for people “over a certain age”.


The brainchild of 39-year-old Kelly Duke, the roadshow is packed with advice and aids from people such as community safety groups, lawyers, care providers, in- dependent financial advisers and health professionals.


It also aims to dispel the myth that getting old is no fun. The Wrinkly Roadshow has al- ready visited


Allington and


Lenham. It will be in Headcorn on April 5 and Coxheath on June 2. Kelly, from Barming, said: “Re- tirement is the time to make up for all those hours spent working at a desk waiting for 5pm. It is time to dispel the myth of ageing. “Just because you may have a few wrinkles it doesn’t mean that you are not up to mischief!” The Wrinkly Roadshow brings advice and support to village hubs and is working to provide better services for retired people. Kelly said: “We are taking a pos-


itive approach to concerns that peo- ple and organisations do not listen to the needs of our older communi- ties and we are working with com- panies and organisations to implement change.


“By taking the roadshows out of the towns and into communities, the businesses and organisations who exhibit are learning that iso- lated communities require some- thing special to make a difference; lessons are being learned and expe- riences shared to tailor make their products and services to meet those additional changing needs.” The roadshow has details of local clubs and societies and wants to know about anything residents would like to see set up in their vil- lage community.


Bowls invitation


SPRING is in the air and Hunton Bowls Club is looking for more members to swell its ranks. The bowls club is behind Hunton


Village Hall, at the King George V playing fields in West Street. Members play mixed friendly matches, league and ladies games and practice on Thursdays from 6pm, starting in May. Anyone of any age is welcome to come a give the game a try before deciding whether they want to join. For more information, contact


John Apsey on 01622 743813 or Diane Cheeseman on 01622 745642.


Maidstone South March 2016 13


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