Man Dies After 34-Hour Wait for Antibiotics

45-year-old Graham, who suffered from Alexander’s Disease, was admitted with an infection in November 2022 at Bassetlaw Hospital, but died one week later from sepsis after hospital staff ignored urgent warnings regarding his treatment. The investigation revealed a catastrophic 34-hour delay in Graham’s care, during which he received no antibiotics at all because the oral drugs ordered by doctors were out of stock. This delay was exacerbated by a rigid refusal to accept verbal guidance from paramedics and care staff, while a corroborating email from Graham’s GP sat unread by hospital personnel. 

Even when IV treatment was finally initiated, staff administered only half of the required dosage. By the time the errors were recognized and a second dose was given, Graham had already succumbed to sepsis, a condition the PHSO notes has seen a 100% increase in related complaints over the last five years. In the wake of the ruling, the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust issued an apology and claimed to have strengthened their prescription protocols.

However, Graham’s mother, Sylvia, has dismissed the Trust's response as "impersonal," pointing out that she has yet to receive a formal action plan detailing how these systemic failures will be corrected. The case serves as a stark indictment of the communication breakdown between clinicians and families, highlighting a disturbing trend where professional intuition and patient history are overlooked with fatal consequences.