Goold Inquest - No Gross Failure for Unilateral Withdrawal

Following a fall in February 2013, Bob Goold was admitted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.  He was placed on life support.  But when Goold's condition failed to improve, he was put on the "Withdrawal of Treatment Pathway" and food and fluids were stopped - WITHOUT family consent.  He died seven days later.  (BBC News) 



This week, Coroner William Morris recorded a narrative verdict.  Morris founds that Goold's clinicians accepted that their interaction with the family was "less than optimal in a number of significant respects" and that a formal consultation and decision on the end-of-care pathway should have taken place.  



BUT Morris further found that while this was an "unfortunate failure on the part of the hospital," it was not a "gross failure - it did not affect the outcome or what followed that decision."



Goold's dementia had already compromised his life expectancy and after the fall it must have been "apparent to all that in the absence of some dramatic change Mr Goold was going to die from his injuries."  Morris said, after a final attempt to bring Goold off life support failed, "no further treatment was considered to be in his best interests" and he was given "appropriate symptomatic relief."