Walter Willey

1888 - 1950  (62 years)

«Prev 1 2 3 4

Halifax Evening Courier 22 Sep 1950

PATIENT WHO WAS DIFFICULT TO FEED
'Misadventure' verdict on Halifax man

'Death by misadventure' was the verdict recorded by the District Coroner (Mr G Billington), at the Halifax inquest yesterday on Walter Willey (62) 9 Plains Lane, Elland, who died in St Johns Hospital, Halifax, on Monday.
Harry Wade, 11 Willow Bank, Hyde Park, Halifax, said his father in law, who was a retired shopkeeper, had a stroke about five years ago which paralysed his right side, and in October, 1949, he had a slight stroke which affected his throat so that it became difficult for him to feed.
Deceased had been operated on earlier this year, but after it they had not been able to look after him at home, and on June 13 he was admitted to St John's Hospital.
Dr. H Shaw, medical registrar at St John's said Mr Willey had a paralysed palate, and on September 11 he decided to feed him through tubes in his nose and by intravenous injections. His condition, which had not been good, then became much better.
Dr. Shaw said feeding through a tube in the nose could not be continued indefinitely. It caused considerable discomfort and he (Dr. Shaw) had thought that an operation putting a tube direct to the stomach by which he could be fed, might help the patient to live a long time. On September 18 he was taken to the General Hospital for the operation.
Mrs Louise Ball, ambulance attendant, Blackley Road, Elland, said she brought the patient back from the General to St John's after the operation. He was unconscious, and his pulse became weaker.

IN COLLAPSED STATE
Mr Willey was readmitted to St John's in a collapsed state, said Arthur Bleetham, male nurse, 40, Thorny Lane, Midgely, and died at 1.58 pm on that day.
Dr. R Hesseltine, resident surgical officer at the General Hospital, said he performed a gastronomy operation, to which the patient had consented, at about 11.15 am on Monday. A local anaesthetic was applied as he was not well enough to have a general one. Though the operation was a relatively minor one, in view of the patient's condition it became more serious, but it did not seem to affect him.
He saw him about 15 minutes after the operation and he seemed to be all right. Witness was surprised to hear he was unconscious when put in the ambulance and he would not have allowed him to go if he had known. Witness should have been told, but he thought that perhaps those who put the man in the ambulance thought he had a general anaesthetic.

OPERATION NECESSARY
Dr. H V Phelon, pathologist at the Halifax Infirmary, said death was due to heart failure resulting from high blood pressure, cerebral and modullary thrombosis and the gastronomy operation. Dr. Phelon added that the operation had been a necessary one and had been carried out properly.
It would have been better to have kept the patient at the General Hospital, but it appeared that he had collapsed shortly after the operation and the collapse was not caused by the ride in the ambulance.
Mr Billington said the operation was for Mr Willey's own benefit, but unfortunatelyhe had not been able to stand the shock, and it had hastened his death, if not by very much. His transference from the General Hospital had nothing to do with his death.

«Prev 1 2 3 4

Message from Andy

I make every effort to document my research. If you have something you would like to add or amend, please email me