A grieving husband has received a £1million payout from the NHS after his wife died after clumsy doctors dismissed her fatal heart condition as anxiety.
Nurse and mother of three Rose Fuentebaja, 40, spent a week in hospital when she suffered a cardiac arrest and died in June 2017, in what lawyers say was “preventable.”
The bungling doctors at Warwick Hospital thought she had a neurological problem, despite the fact that she fainted repeatedly and tests showed her heartbeat was irregular.
Previously ‘fit and healthy’, she collapsed at home in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. An ambulance was called on 23 May 2017.
But even when emergency services performed an ECG, which showed her heartbeat was irregular, she was told her fainting was likely caused by anxiety and that her life-threatening condition had not been diagnosed.
Nurse and mother of three Rose Fuentebaja, 40, was in hospital for a week when she suffered a cardiac arrest and died in June 2017
Ms Fuentebaja, a nurse for 16 years and working in a private clinic, fell ill at home before ambulance staff told her she was fine.
The next day she experienced tingling in her hands and feet and fainted again.
This time she was taken to hospital by ambulance, but because the cause could not be determined, she was examined and sent home again.
A few days later, after fainting again, she was taken to hospital by ambulance, where she underwent several ECG tests.
Abnormalities in her heart rate were noted, but she was not placed on continuous heart rate monitoring.
Instead, she was transferred to the neurological unit at Coventry Hospital, where she died of cardiac arrest on June 4, 2017.
The nurse, previously ‘fit and healthy’, collapsed at home in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, prompting an ambulance call on May 23, 2017. But even when paramedics performed an ECG, which showed disturbances in her heartbeat, she was told her fainting was likely caused by anxiety and her life-threatening condition went undetected.
Disturbances in her heartbeat were detected, but she was not placed on continuous cardiac monitoring. Instead, she was transferred to a neurological unit at Coventry Hospital, where she died of cardiac arrest on 4 June 2017.
She was found unconscious by a nurse doing her rounds and attempts to revive her were unsuccessful.
Lawyers specialising in medical negligence have now secured £1million in damages for Mrs Fuentebaja’s husband, Darrel.
Mr Fuentebaja, who has to raise his three children, aged 14, nine and six, alone, said: ‘It was a very traumatic time when my wife died.
‘As a nurse, she was very committed to helping others and she saved many lives.
‘Sadly, when the time came that she needed that help, she was abandoned and it cost her her life.
‘I was in a deep depression for about a year and I was very worried at the time.
‘I was worried about what would happen to my children if something happened to me.
‘I felt very angry and bitter about that, and the mistakes that had been made, and that’s why I took legal action for her. I wanted justice for her.
‘The compensation is useful, but I can’t even think about spending it now. It’s money I earned from losing my wife.
‘I want to preserve it and make sure my children benefit from it in the future.
“They lost their mother and hopefully this can help them in their lives.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust has admitted breaching its duty of care after first responders failed to detect possible heart problems despite an ECG showing abnormalities and loss of consciousness.
They also admitted that Ms Fuentebaja should have been advised to go to hospital that day.
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust admitted that failing to refer Mrs Fuentebaja to a cardiologist and failing to place her under constant heart rate monitoring was also a breach of duty.
It was admitted that if this had happened, the diagnosis would have been correct and she would have been treated with beta-blocker medication.
Even if she had suffered a cardiac arrest, she would have been quickly defibrillated and resuscitated and would have survived.
Elizabeth Maliakal, a medical negligence lawyer at Hudgell Solicitors, representing the family, said: “Mrs Fuentebaja’s death was completely preventable.
‘If she had received the right treatment and care, she would still be with her family, but she was abandoned by two different health care providers.
‘The missed opportunities to provide timely treatment resulted in the loss of a beloved mother, wife and daughter who was the primary breadwinner for her family.
‘I am extremely proud that Mr. Fuentebaja has placed his trust in me to represent him and his children in the most difficult times.
Medical negligence lawyers have now secured £1million in damages for Mrs Fuentebaja’s husband, Darrel
‘Sadly, nothing can be done to fill the enormous void left in people’s lives when loved ones lose their lives due to medical errors.
‘However, we were able to offer our support and after a thorough investigation we were able to secure an initial interim payment to ease the financial pressure on the family, a full apology from South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and a final settlement which provides Mr Fuentebaja and his children with much needed financial stability for the future.’
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We would like to once again apologise to Rose Fuentebaja’s family and extend our condolences.
‘The trust has conducted an investigation into the incident, from which we have learned. As a result, we have made a number of changes based on the findings.
“We will continue to do everything we can to prevent something like this from ever happening again.”
A spokesman for South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘We extend our sincere condolences to Rosalie’s family and friends.
“When she passed away in 2017, we did a thorough investigation into any missed opportunities and then implemented a learning process across the organization.”