Our Case:

Doctors are deeming elderly patients as prime candidates for palliative care. In far too many cases these patients were neither end of life or terminal. Every human being regardless of age has the right to life. Doctors should not have the right to assess any being as disposable as they are sworn by a Hippocratic oath which is to 'preserve life and do no harm'. 

The doctors at Newham University Hospital did not apply this oath to Evadney Dawkins' treatment whilst she was in their care. She wasn’t without old aged ailments, she was remarkably healthy for her age of 77 years old but was routed for palliative end of life care.

Who we are?  

We, the children of the deceased, have been continually fighting for justice and accountability for the injustice of the inadequate care.

We now have legal representation and the initial hearing will begin with a Pre Inquest Review on the 21st April 2020.  

Background Summary:

On obtaining the medical records from Newham University Hospital, what we had already suspected was confirmed from reviewing the notes. It was distressing to see what our mother had to endure in their care.  She was taken to A&E on the 22nd July 2018 and was given harmful beta blockers which started the month long chain of events. She developed renal failure and acquired respiratory complications which was not present on admission. What should have been routine treatment, resulted in a catalogue of catastrophic events. She then was admitted to ICU and medically induced and remained in coma for 9 days. 

Throughout her intubation, on multiple occasions, received wrongful treatment whilst still in renal failure. 4 DNACPR orders made active without the patients consent or any involvement from the family members. She was discharged from the ICU on the 15th August 2018 with the understanding she was being transferred to a rehabilitation ward as her recovery was remarkable. Her mental capacity once warded was assessed as not having capacity to give consent. She was however noted in the records as giving consent to an escalated end of life care plan without out the relatives having any knowledge of this life changing decision. 

No formal assessment or referral to the specialist palliative care team was done or evidence in the records to suggest she was ever palliative.

The palliative process had been started with the administering of palliative drugs, without any of our knowledge. On her final evening 23rd August 2018, we left her fed, comfortable and ready to sleep. We received a call from the ward 59 mins later to say our mother had taken a turn for the worst and was pronounced dead. We have yet to get a tangible explanation as to what events took place in those final minutes from the Trust considering we left her peaceful and her final words to us was 'goodnight I will see you all tomorrow'.

Call to action - We are aiming to raise funds to help us through the Pre inquest and inquest hearings, so we can finally get the answers we deserve. We would appreciate any help that can be provided to raise awareness.

What are we trying to achieve? 

In raising awareness we want to see change and a stop to any life be treated as disposable as our case is not isolated. This is an issue that is on the rise and if not addressed, each and every one of us will be affected at some point. Together we can stand united and strive for change for our elderly living relatives now, for our future and the justice for the loved ones already taken from us prematurely. We have created a Facebook page to campaign and offer guidance and support for other families going through the same experience. 

Justice For Loved Ones Wrongly Euthanised By The N.H.S

https://www.facebook.com/groups/641228802946331/?ref=bookmarks

What is the next step in the case? 

We will continue to fight for justice and bring our case to the high court, the key doctors involved in her care breach numerous acts and did not follow GMC set guidelines. We hope for our case to reflect on all of those other families that have experienced the loss of their elderly loved ones who have died in similar circumstances.

How much we are raising and why? 

Our initial target is for £3000 as our legal costs to date is £5000 just for counselling and our stretched target for legal representation throughout inquest stage will total £10000.

We are thanking all supporters in advance together we can campaign for change that will benefit us all.