Rossendale grandmother dies after ‘do not resuscitate’ error

Mrs Dawson, from Rossendale, Lancashire, was initially taken to hospital by her son, John Dawson, over a suspected bowel obstruction.

An inquest at Accrington Town Hall heard that while in hospital, Mrs Dawson had a cardiac arrest but was resuscitated and responding well.

However, after a second cardiac arrest, no attempts at CPR were made, the coroner said.

This was due to a health worker checking the wrong notes, mixing up Mrs Dawson, who did want to be resuscitated, with a man in his 90s who did not want to be.

“They turned around and said sorry, they’ve got do not resuscitate (DNR) on her,” her son, Mr Dawson, said.

“I said ‘no she wouldn’t have had that’ because she’s never been ill, or in a position to think when the time comes this would be the best thing.

“But I was in such a state of shock, I was so numb so I thought right, I better make some phone calls.”