Mother's drug allergy not checked

A consultant surgeon recommended a mother was given penicillin-based drugs without checking whether she was allergic to them, an inquest has heard.

Teresa Innes, 38, of Turnhill Grove, Bradford, suffered anaphylactic shock and went into a coma when she was given the drug before an operation in 2001.

She died in August 2003, after a judge gave permission for the Bradford Royal Infirmary to end artificial feeding.

Dr John Griffith said he had not seen an allergy band on Ms Innes' wrist.

Ms Innes, who was allergic to penicillin, had been due to have minor surgery on an infected insect bite on her leg.

Allergy status

Dr Griffin told Bradford Coroner's Court that none of her notes had been available to him during his evening ward round on 24 September 2001.

He said he now thought two student nurses who were "clerking" Ms Innes onto the ward may have had her notes and been preparing the bright red allergy band while he was carrying out his round.

"To my knowledge, Teresa had been clerked in and admitted by nursing staff, and both those people will have ascertained her allergies.

"I would have expected to be informed of her allergy status or that safeguard to step in and to be told if any drug she was prescribed had been contrary."

Recommended prescription

He said there had never been a policy for surgeons to obtain the allergy status of a patient in any of the hospitals he had trained in, but he had since made it part of his routine.

When asked by coroner Roger Whittaker whether it was not up to all medical staff to ascertain whether drugs were being prescribed safely, Mr Griffith said he had recommended a prescription of the drug, not prescribed it.

Ward sister Karen Williams said she had not seen Ms Innes' notes as she was given a verbal handover when taking charge of the ward, and no one had asked to see them during the ward round.

"I was never aware of the penicillin allergy, ever, until the following morning when I was informed by my managers," she said.

She admitted she should have been aware of Ms Innes' allergy but said: "I think it's physically impossible to know every patient's details."

The inquest continues.