Grieving family demands answers after death (From Daily Echo)

Grieving family demands answers after death

3:10pm Saturday 23rd February 2013 in News By Jenny Makin, Crime Reporter

THEIR lives have been put on hold for 20 long months while they waited for answers.

But today the family of Hazel Ladbrooke, 57, said that many questions remained unanswered about the care she received in hospital before she died.

Mrs Ladbrooke’s daughter, Domino Goodson, her only child, and her sister, Carol Bolton, have sat through three separate coroner’s court hearings in the hope of finally hearing what had happened over a 17-day period in Southampton General Hospital in June 2011.

And while the inquest has shed some light, they feel hospital bosses still have some explaining to do to ensure that no other family endures “the awful ordeal” they have.

They told the Daily Echo they particularly wanted to thank anaesthetist Dr Andrew Baker for his “honesty and integrity”

for revealing what had happened when Mrs Ladbrooke became critically ill on June 4 and for his efforts and care for her that night.

“He did his best in an awful situation that he was confronted with. It was the system that was the problem rather than the people at fault,” said Domino.

Mum-of-one Hazel was a widow who lived with and cared for her sister Janet. She was a selftaught pianist and artist who loved to write poetry.

Paying tribute to her, they said: “Hazel was extremely popular and very much loved in and around Southampton and her death has left a huge gap in many lives.

“There are so many unanswered questions but our major concern is that nobody else should endure this awful ordeal.

“It has been particularly painful waiting for so long for the inquest to get some answers. It’s been really tough to move on with anything. We feel all our lives have been on hold.”

They added: “We are lucky in that we are very close with one another, that we have representation and support.”

The family said it was now taking time to digest the coroner’s report and was taking legal advice, but it was too early to say any more.

• Inquest hears how doctors were hampered by fauly equipment

• Lawyers vow to help grieving family