Grandmother Dies After Hospital's Penicillin Mix-Up and Neglect
Grandmother Marianne Mortemore, aged 69, tragically passed away following what her family describes as a "catalogue of errors" by NHS staff at the University Hospital of North Durham. The devastating incident involved medical professionals ignoring repeated warnings about her severe penicillin allergy and mistakenly administering another patient's medication to her.
A Series of Critical Failures
Marianne was initially admitted to the hospital in February 2024 with complications from an existing skin condition. During her assessment, staff failed to identify that she had developed critical limb ischaemia, a potentially fatal condition that restricts blood flow to limbs. This life-threatening issue was only discovered by chance when her family requested a podiatrist to trim her toenails.
Throughout her six-day admission, Marianne's family had repeatedly alerted hospital staff to her allergy to certain medications, including penicillin. She wore her own allergy bracelet, had a hospital-issued wristband, and her medical notes clearly documented the allergy. Despite these multiple warnings, she was given another patient's penicillin in a catastrophic medication error.
Deteriorating Conditions and Lack of Compassion
Following the administration of the wrong medication, Marianne suffered a heart attack. Despite receiving CPR, she died several days later. The investigation into her care revealed numerous additional failings:
- Marianne was denied a pillow and left on a bed in the center of a crowded ward
- Staff repeatedly failed to administer her medication on schedule
- During one particularly distressing incident, she was left "screaming in agony" while staff attempted to insert a catheter
- One nurse abandoned her bedside to welcome friends visiting the ward, even "high-fiving" them while Marianne suffered
Family's Trauma and Legal Action
Marianne's devastated family instructed medical negligence solicitors Slater and Gordon to investigate her care. Her daughter Catherine expressed the family's anguish: "We live with a mixture of anger and upset at what happened to our mam. It was just a catalogue of errors, as if our mam didn't matter."
Her son David described being traumatized by witnessing his mother's treatment: "I can still hear her screams when they were trying to insert the catheter, that will stay with me forever. For someone so lovely to be treated in this way, it makes you realise it could happen to anyone."
The family's solicitor, John Lowther of Slater and Gordon, stated: "The standard of care Marianne received from the University Hospital of North Durham was woeful. From being given the wrong medication and delays in acting with regard to a life-threatening condition, through to poor communication and a total lack of compassion, Marianne has been utterly failed here."
Hospital Response and Ongoing Concerns
After Marianne's critical limb ischaemia was finally discovered, she was transferred to Sunderland Royal Hospital for specialist vascular treatment, but tragically passed away days later as a consequence of the penicillin administration error at the Durham hospital.
A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: "We offer our sincere condolences to the family of Marianne Mortemore on their loss. We recognise the concerns that have been raised and treat matters of this nature with the utmost seriousness. We remain committed to identifying and acting on any learning as appropriate."
The Trust acknowledged that "a number of errors and oversights affected the quality of care provided to Marianne" during her final days. Marianne's family, including her two children and four grandchildren, continue to seek meaningful changes to prevent similar tragedies from occurring to other families in the future.
