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An elderly woman from County Down was found unresponsive following a medication mix-up involving her domiciliary care providers, a situation that left her family fearing the worst. Ellen Whitla, aged 87, was mistakenly given drugs prescribed to her daughter on two separate occasions in recent months. These errors included the administration of antipsychotic and antidepressant medications intended for her daughter, leading to a hospital admission where she required oxygen support. The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust has since apologized to Mrs. Whitla and her family and is conducting an investigation into the matter.
Mrs. Whitla, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, lives with her daughter in Newtownards and receives daily visits from carers employed by the health trust. According to her grandson, Gareth Gibson, the carers twice confused the medications during their visits—once in August and again in early December—giving Mrs. Whitla her daughter’s medication instead of her own. At the time of the second incident, her daughter’s medication dosage had increased. Both sets of medicine were clearly labeled and packaged in blister packs with the respective patient names, underscoring the error.
The second episode proved particularly terrifying for the family. Shortly after Mrs. Whitla took the incorrect medication, her granddaughter arrived home to find her unresponsive. Gareth Gibson recalled the distressing phone call from his sister: “I was at work and I got the phone call from my sister saying ‘I think granny’s dead’.” Upon arriving, Mr. Gibson found few signs of life and little response or breathing from his grandmother. Emergency services were called, and Mrs. Whitla was rushed to the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald with low blood pressure, a dropping heart rate, and a need for oxygen. Initially, doctors considered other causes for her reduced consciousness but later identified the antidepressant from her daughter’s medication as the source of her condition.
Though Mrs. Whitla gradually regained some responsiveness later that evening, she subsequently endured severe confusion for several days. Gareth Gibson described his grandmother’s state as profound: “Granny wasn’t with us, she was away with it… Her confusion level was just off the Richter scale.” While she is now recovering at home, she has not yet returned to her prior baseline. Mr. Gibson explained that before the incident, any forgetfulness was mild, typical of someone her age, but now there is a significant level of ongoing confusion.
The family also expressed dissatisfaction with how the health trust initially handled communication. Mr. Gibson criticized a call from a trust staff member who referred to the serious event as a “wee incident,” labeling the response as “diabolical” and “shambolic,” particularly given the potential severity of the situation. The trust later reached out to apologize and confirmed that an investigation is underway, promising to share the findings and any lessons learned. A spokesperson affirmed the trust’s commitment to patient safety and ongoing support for Mrs. Whitla in her home.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Mr. Gibson articulated the family’s feelings: “My overriding emotion is one of sadness… This shouldn’t have happened, this was avoidable and there’s always anger there.” The family plans to submit a formal complaint to the trust. Despite the challenges, Mr. Gibson hopes his grandmother will recover sufficiently to join them for Christmas Day, a tradition she has maintained every year since the passing of her husband. However, due to her current confusion and mobility issues, he remains uncertain if she will be able to leave her home this year
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