Maddy Lawrence inquest: Student's condition was not monitored for 16 hours

Hospital staff did not record observations about a student rugby player's condition for 16 hours, an inquest has heard.

Maddy Lawrence, 20, was admitted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol after dislocating her hip in a University of the West of England rugby match on 9 March 2022.

She died two weeks later on 25 March of an infection.

An inquest into Ms Lawrence's death is due to continue for two weeks.

Jonathan Jones KC, who is representing the Lawrence family, asked former nurse Yvonne Bushnell why observations had not been recorded.

A system was in place called News - a national early warning score - that should have indicated any deterioration or, for instance, sepsis.

There was a gap in the recording of observations of 16 hours, between 06.16 GMT - the last entry made by the night team - and 22.41 GMT on 11 March.

"I asked my colleagues who were also on duty to carry them out as they were competent in doing so and had done them on previous occasions," Ms Bushnell said.

"I asked them if the observations were up to date and they told me they were."

But having realised that they had not done them, she said she felt "let down" by her team.

The inquest has heard that the student had a score of three for blood pressure which, according to the procedure, should have led the registered nurse to screen for sepsis.

Ms Bushnell was asked if she had been aware of the low score and what she had done about it.

She said she had been aware but had not screened for sepsis.

"It would have been something the night team would have done. But potentially [on reflection] I should have instigated it myself," she said.

She was then asked if she was concerned about the treatment she had provided.

"At the time I felt I provided the best treatment that I could," Ms Bushnell said.

"At times you were having to prioritise what you were providing for patients, perhaps [contacting] doctors to highlight the needs of patients."

She said that she always did her best for her patients. "And that's how I felt on those shifts."

But she said that she now felt concerned "as I wasn't aware about the lack of observations being taken and, yes, that really shocked me."

On previous days the coroner has heard how Ms Lawrence waited more than five hours for an ambulance after she was injured.

There were also delays in receiving a CT scan due to a bomb hoax and delays in getting blood tests and their results.

The inquest continues.

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