My mother is Elsie Devine. As a family, we have been fighting her
case for the last 10 years with a view to achieving justice. It is our
view that Dr Jane Barton at Gosport Memorial Hospital allegedly
MURDERED my Mother. There have been a number of expert reports
supporting the issue of inappropriate use of dangerous medication.
We believe the conduct of the staff and Dr Jane Barton was
discriminatory by way of age and disability. My mother's life was
ended prematurely and unnecessarily. People who read this should
note that other relatives have raised similar concerns.
Moreover, it is suspected that the death rate for the wards that were
investigated being Dryad and Daudlus was significantly high.
However, we also suspect that this was the case in the other wards at
the Hospital as well. In 1988 Dr Barton started working in Redclyffe
Annex and Northcott House, during that time she introduced portable
Syringe drivers. Nurses came forward and complained to the
Portsmouth Healthcare Trust (PHT) that elderly patients were being
hooked up to them unjustifiably, which directly led to premature
death. This started a series of meetings involving the Royal College of
Nursing, The Nursing and Midwifery Council and the PHT.
Unfortunately, despite a number of expert reports and a mortality
rate study by Professor Richard Baker and vast quantities of
information has been concealed from us.
Summary of The Case
In summary, Dr Jane Barton at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital
terminated my mother's life in November 1999. Elsie Devine was a
lady with a good quality of life who had been admitted to Dryad ward
for rehabilitation. She was completely deaf in one ear and had 30%
hearing in the other; her knee had gone completely over and she had
been given the offer of a knee replacement earlier that year and that
was waiting action. She was registered disabled because of her knee
and walked with a stick. She had chronic renal failure, which was and
had remained stable for the previous 6 months and her renal
physician confirmed that she did not have Multiple Myeloma. Notably
she was a frail elderly lady weighing 8 stone, but she was mentally
and physically competent, lived on her own most of the time in the
family home.
On Thursday 18th November 1999 sometime before 9am Dr Taylor,
an external doctor in old age psychiatry was authorised by Dr Jane
Barton to assess my Mother. It was unclear why Dr Jane Barton had
summoned this doctor as my mother was lucid and did not complain
of any pain. Dr Jane Barton had prescribed my mother thioridazine an
anti psychotic for alleged agitation and confusion on The 9th
November, but this was ceased on the 17th November as nursing
notes state it was not required. The family never knew she was being
given this drug and question till now why as she was never agitated
with us around her and why we were never consulted regarding this.
The Doctor in old age psychiatry wrote in my mother's medical file for
that visit, around 0900 hours.
"HAPPY, NO COMPLAINTS, WAITING FOR HER DAUGHTER,
OBVIOUSLY NOT PARANOID, SAYS TABLETS MAKE HER MOUTH
SORE.
At 9.15 Jane Barton started my Mother on the terminal pathway with
no notification to the family, she was not there when the psychiatrist
visited as she had finished her rounds by 8.30 and gone to her family
practice. The prescription for Fentanyl was premeditated, it is clear
that Dr Jane Barton had made the decision to terminate my Mother's
life. The family visited that same day on the 18thas they did everyday
and found my Mother to be happy.
She had tea at 2-30 with her ex-daughter-in law and signed her
pension book. In the evening my brother and his wife visited they sat
and chatted and my Mother was just as lucid as she had always been.
They had no knowledge that Dr Barton had put my Mother on the
terminal pathway. The Fentanyl of 25mg is equivalent of 135
morphine and takes 17-23 hours to peak, that was the last time
anyone saw my Mother conscious.
In 24 hours she was given the following drugs:-
· 25mcg Fentanyl Patch only licensed for patients with chronic
intractable pain dying of cancer equivalent to 135mg of morphine and
a 4 times overdose (18.11.99/0915hrs)
· 50mg of Chlorpromazine without justification - another 4 times
overdose (19.11.99/0830hrs)
· 40mg of Midazolam without justification another 4 times overdose
(19.11.99/0925hrs) and again on (20.11.99/0925hrs ) and again on
(21.11.99/0900hrs)
· 40mg of Diamorphine without justification another 4 times
overdose (19.11.99/0925hrs) and again on (20.11.99/0900hrs) and
again on (21.11.99/0925hrs)
The day progressed as follows. 6.30am my Mother woke and dressed
herself, but started to feel the full affects of the opiate overdose not
being opiate tolerate. Nurses wrestled my Mother to the floor and Dr
Jane Barton was called, she authorised 50mg of Chlorpromazine, after
55 minutes she administered a syringe driver in her back with 40mg
Diamorphine, 40mg Midazolam. They then walked my disabled
mother for several hours until she lost consciousness; only then did
they move her to a bed and notify the family that she had 36 hours to
live. The Fentanyl Patch was not removed until 1230hrs as states on
the medical file. The two nurses walking my Mother until lunchtime is
written in the Independent Review by the Portsmouth Healthcare
Trust.
Concerns Raised
In January 2000 I raised my concerns with the NHS Trust over the
sudden death of my Mother. They responded in writing and stated
that Dr Barton was a well-respected Doctor and they did not
understand what went wrong "on this occasion". At the time, I did not
know that there was already a Police Investigation underway for the
alleged Murder of Gladys Richards.
Unhappy with their response I asked to view the Medical file and
noted the cocktail of drugs that my Mother was administered and it
caused me great concern. My Brother and I had several meetings
with the Trust, which they would not allow Dr Barton to attend to
justify her actions. I then requested an Independent Review.
Complaints were made to the General Medical Council and to the
Health Ombudsman; all stated there was nothing to answer. It took
the Trust 18 months to give me a copy of my mother's medical file
and I thought this was a violation of my rights.
There has been 3 Police Investigations. The Crown Prosecution
Service has failed to prosecute any of the 10 cases that Hampshire
Constabulary sent to the CPS and they have not provided us with
proper and valid reasons. The CPS will not disclose Mr David Perry QC
submissions as to why this case will not go into court and stated they
do not have to.
This appears to be the case with all deaths of this type nationwide it
is time the public stood united and put a stop to this culling.
Please don't let more vulnerable be put to sleep in silence and without
their families knowledge.
Give everyone a voice and the right to die with dignity.
Sign the petition:http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Elsies-Law/
