"Failure to care for my sister"

We phoned to get a GP home visit for my sister who was unwell in bed with zero energy. Her skin colour was so pale, even her lips had no colour. She had been like this for a few days.

Medical hx included a stroke which had left her with slurred speech and difficulty remembering words.  She also had mobility problems so used a wheelchair to get about, however this wasn't even possible as she had no energy to even lift her head for a drink. She looked like a patient at the end of life.

The GP refused to come out to see my sister as he thought she was drunk because of her speech and categorically refused to come out to review. 

A few days later and no improvement, we phoned the GP again and this time a Dr came to review her in the house. 1 look at her and it was clear she required hospital treatment. She arrived at FVRH where bloods taken showed a hb of 49....a hb of 49.

She was commenced on fluids and meds as her BP was really low also. She was moved to AAU where the staff were amazing with her and looked after her. She was then transferred to A12. In the room with my sister lying flat the doctors came in to discuss with my mum that all treatment was being withdrawn, my mum has been left with the guilt of - did her daughter hear her mum agree to letting her die?

Unfortunately my big sister passed away. Due to pneumonia and organ failure. They never found out why her hb was so low. 

Now I do need to jump back to during 2024 my sister had multiple admissions to hospital and would often be sent home the same day. Even when the fast track team failed her, even when the family expressed it was not safe as she was having falls at home. But this fell on deaf ears.

I hold the GP and A&E responsible for her death. If the GP had  reviewed her she could have been commenced on treatment much sooner. 

If A&E had listened to the family we could have potentially found the cause of the low hb.

She was my sister and best friend, an amazing aunty and before becoming unwell was talking about planning her wedding with her fiance. Now she won't see her nephew grow up, or have the option to be a beautiful bride. We had to choose what she was going to wear in her coffin instead. We need and demand answers to why these failures happened and so many opportunities missed.

She was 39 years old when she passed away,  3 days after her 39th birthday.