The family of a man who died while awaiting urgent brain surgery at one of Britain’s leading hospitals say they are outraged that the department responsible for his care is now facing a rapid investigation.
John Brackenbury passed away in 2016 after a delay in treatment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where another patient was taken into surgery ahead of him. His family say that despite reviews and recommendations made following the incident, hospital insiders claim the proposed improvements were never fully implemented.
Jenny Dunk, Mr Brackenbury’s daughter, said she believes the situation shows that important lessons were ignored.
“Nobody cared, nobody saw dad as a human being, you know, they’re all about kind of looking after themselves and their own egos and protecting each other,” Jenny said.
Mr Brackenbury had been admitted to Addenbrooke’s in November 2016 after suffering a brain haemorrhage that required urgent surgery within 48 hours. His family initially felt reassured when he was transferred to the hospital, which is widely recognised for its neuroscience services.
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However, the operation did not go ahead as planned after clinicians selected a different patient for surgery.
“We were told that there was an unfortunate sequence of events and they took the wrong person. They took an 85-year-old Mrs B instead of a 70-year-old Mr B,” his widow Jean said.
The mistake meant Mr Brackenbury’s procedure was postponed until the following day, but he died during the night before it could take place.
His daughter described the final hours as deeply distressing.
“He was just left in a bed, nil-by-mouth, and abandoned.”
Whistleblowers Claim Recommendations After Death Were Not Implemented
Following Mr Brackenbury’s death, both an inquest and a hospital investigation identified failures in the care he received and issued recommendations aimed at improving the neurosciences department.
However, whistleblowers working at the hospital have told Sky News that those changes were never properly carried out.
According to the sources, concerns about organisation and the working environment within the department remain nearly a decade later, with ongoing worries about patient safety.
This latest review is the second time scrutiny has been directed at departments within the prominent hospital.
Separate Inquiry Into Suspended Surgeon Raises Further Concerns
Addenbrooke’s is also dealing with another investigation involving surgeon Kuldeep Stohr, who has been suspended following concerns about some of her procedures involving children.
The two cases have drawn attention to whether hospital leadership could have intervened sooner.
For Mr Brackenbury’s family, the suggestion that the same issues may still exist has only deepened their frustration.
“I’m furious and cross. It feels like his death was in vain. We didn’t want that; we wanted to protect other people.
“The fact that I’m hearing nearly 10 years on nothing has changed, I just think it is absolutely despicable. There’s no accountability,” Jenny said.
Cambridge University Hospitals Responds To Family’s Anger
Dr Sue Broster, chief medical officer at Cambridge University Hospitals, said the trust continues to reflect on the tragedy.
“We remain saddened by Mr Brackenbury’s death, and our thoughts are with his family. We are committed to learning any lessons we can from his family’s experience to improve the service we offer to patients, and would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with his family.
“The trust recognises that our decision to commission an external review into our neurosciences services has caused concern for Mr Brackenbury’s family and for some of our patients, and we are sorry for the distress this has caused.”
Mr Brackenbury’s relatives are now considering whether to hold discussions with the trust.
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