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Mother sent home by hospital died with blood clot

Family photo Jade Ellis, with long curly black hair, is wearing make-up and is smiling at the cameraFamily photo
Jade Ellis died hours after being sent home from hospital

A mum died of a heart attack due to a blood clot after being sent home from hospital - with her family claiming the NHS "failed" her.

Jade Ellis, 36, was discharged from Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend "within half an hour" of arriving with chest pains.

But she died in her 18-year-old son's arms soon after arriving home in March 2020.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg health officials have apologised and the family said they had been paid £160,000 in compensation.

Sandra Bartlett has red lipstick and black hair. Deanna Ellis has light brown hair, big glasses and is wearing a black top and cardigan
Sandra Bartlett and Deanna Ellis say Jade Ellis was failed by the NHS

Ms Ellis' son Brandon started CPR when he spoke to a paramedic on the phone while waiting for an ambulance to their home in Cwmavon, Neath Port Talbot, but it was too late.

Her daughter, Deanna Ellis, 20, said she would never forget the shock of seeing her mum lying dead on the bedroom floor.

"I ran upstairs to see her, I collapsed," she said.

"It took two or three people to get me off her because she just wasn’t waking up," she said.

Deanna Ellis, who has light brown hair and glasses, and Sandra Bartlett, who is wearing a leopard print top and has black, standing stood in front of a wall mural of Jade Ellis
Port Talbot street artist Steve Jenks has painted a mural of Jade Ellis

Ms Ellis' mother, Sandra Bartlett, 61, said: "I thought I was looking at someone else's life."

Ms Bartlett said her daughter had "a quick ECG" (electrocardiogram test) at hospital before being discharged.

"When she went into that hospital, she should have had a blood test," Ms Bartlett added.

"She could have had blood thinner, they could have put stents in, but more so, they could have kept her at the hospital.

"The NHS is an amazing service, but they failed my daughter. They failed her through something as simple as a blood test."

Ms Ellis's two children have been awarded £160,000 of compensation from the NHS, £30,000 of which has been spent on legal fees.

Ms Bartlett said the pain the family endured was irreversible.

"I had a meeting with the hospital and they said to me the sentence that I will never forget - 'mistakes happen'.

"This mistake cost a young woman her life."

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said its "heartfelt condolences" were with the family.

"As a health board, we have apologised to Jade’s family for the instances where her care fell short of the high standards we expect for all of our patients, and have ensured that learning from this case has informed improvements in care for the future."

NHS Wales said it did not want to comment further.