In a shocking turn of events, the family of an elderly woman from County Down discovered her unresponsive after a serious mix-up with her medication by her domiciliary carers. Initially, they feared the worst—that their beloved grandmother had passed away.
Ellen Whitla, an 87-year-old pensioner, has faced this alarming situation not once, but twice in recent months. Each time, she received medication that was intended for her daughter, which included powerful antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs. This unfortunate error resulted in her hospitalization, where she required oxygen to stabilize her condition. Her grandson, Gareth Gibson, described the experience as frightening and distressing for the whole family.
The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust has since issued an apology to Mrs. Whitla and her family, acknowledging the seriousness of the incident and initiating an investigation into what went wrong.
Mrs. Whitla, who requires medication for Parkinson's disease, lives in Newtownards with her daughter. Daily, domiciliary carers provided by the health trust visit to assist her with her needs. However, Mr. Gibson recounted that, on two separate occasions—once in August and again in December—the carers mistakenly provided her with her daughter’s medications instead of her own. This led to the second episode being particularly severe, requiring emergency medical attention.
During the time between these two incidents, the dosage of Mrs. Whitla's daughter's medication had been increased, adding to the confusion. Both women’s prescriptions were organized in blister packs clearly labeled with their names, yet the mix-up still occurred.
The shock deepened when Mrs. Whitla's granddaughter visited shortly after the second incident and found her grandmother unresponsive. "I was at work when I got a call from my sister saying, 'I think granny's dead,'" Mr. Gibson recalled. His heart sank with horror as he rushed home, fearing for his grandmother’s life. When he arrived, there were few signs of life, and it was difficult to tell if she was breathing.
An ambulance was called, and Mrs. Whitla was taken to Ulster Hospital in Dundonald. There, medical staff found her blood pressure alarmingly low and her heart rate dropping. Initially, doctors suspected there might be another underlying issue affecting her consciousness level. However, they later determined that the cause was the antidepressant from her daughter's prescription. By evening, thankfully, Mrs. Whitla began showing signs of responsiveness and was able to rise from bed approximately 13 hours after taking the incorrect medication.
Despite regaining some awareness, she experienced significant confusion, which persisted in the following days. "Granny wasn’t with us; she was completely out of it," Mr. Gibson said, expressing the family's frustration over her mental state. While she is now recuperating at home, Mr. Gibson indicated that she remains confused, a stark contrast to her previous state of mind before the hospital visit. "Like any 87-year-old, my granny could sometimes be forgetful, but prior to this incident, that was the extent of it. Now there’s a concerning level of confusion."
The family's concerns were compounded by an initial response from the health trust that they deemed unprofessional. Mr. Gibson described receiving a call from a staff member who referred to the incident as a "wee incident." He found this description trivialized the seriousness of the situation. "In the midst of worrying about my grandmother’s health, to have someone downplay it like that was unacceptable," he expressed.
Subsequently, the trust reached out to convey their apologies and informed the family that an investigation was in progress. A spokesperson for the South Eastern Trust reaffirmed their commitment to patient safety and emphasized the importance of addressing such issues seriously. They pledged to keep Mrs. Whitla and her family informed about the findings of the investigation and any lessons learned from this incident.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Mr. Gibson shared a profound sense of sadness and anger. "This shouldn’t have happened; it was avoidable," he stated emphatically. The family intends to file an official complaint against the trust, firmly believing that the mix-up should never have occurred.
Looking ahead, Mr. Gibson hopes his grandmother will recover sufficiently to join the family for Christmas celebrations—a tradition they have maintained every year since the passing of his grandfather. "She has always been at my house every single Christmas since then. I’m uncertain if she'll be able to leave her home this year due to her current condition and confusion."
