A nurse whose patient died after she administered the wrong blood type has received an 18-month suspended sentence. Lea Ledesma, 49, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Ali Huseyin at London Heart Hospital in May 2014.
Mr Huseyin, 76, had undergone a successful heart bypass operation but was given type AB blood instead of his correct type O. Ledesma made several errors, including selecting the wrong blood from a vending-style machine and checking it against incorrect computer records. She initially blamed a colleague before admitting she was distracted and flustered.
At Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith described the case as a “double tragedy” and noted the “rarely, if ever” seen volume of character references for Ledesma, who was described as the “mother” of the intensive care unit. He said Mr Huseyin was a “much-loved husband, father and grandfather” whose death had devastated his family.
Ledesma wept and hugged her family after the sentence was passed. The public gallery was packed with supporters who formed a circle and prayed when it was announced she would not go to prison. Anthony Metzer QC, defending, said Ledesma was “anxious to accept full blame” and showed extreme remorse, adding that the error would “live with her until her own dying day.”
