Diabetic dad died from sepsis after appointment cancelled in pandemic

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A diabetic dad died from sepsis after his check-ups at a clinic were cancelled at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Locksley Burton, 80, died at King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill in April 2020 – nine days after being admitted.

Mr Burton, a disabled amputee, received fortnightly check-ups at a diabetic foot clinic until the pandemic struck in 2020 – when the visits became monthly.

The report, published on September 29, 2022, said his GP wasn’t informed of the reduction in appointments.

Soon after, the pensioner, who suffered from dementia and bipolar disorder, developed an infection on his left foot. A foot specialist who saw Mr Burton told him to change the dressing regularly and keep the area dry.

But Mr Burton, who lived in a care home in Southwark, often refused to let staff inspect and dress the wound. He became lethargic and blood tests revealed he was suffering from anaemia – a condition that prevents oxygen from travelling around the body properly.

When a GP visited Mr Burton on April 2, 2020, he was given antibiotics. But his wound wasn’t inspected as the doctor believed the 80-year-old was still attending his foot clinic fortnightly, Andrew Harris senior coroner for inner South London wrote in the report.

Mr Burton was admitted to hospital two weeks later on April 15, 2020, where he was found to be suffering from gangrene. He was too ill for surgery and died on April 22 2020.

The coroner’s report dated July 29 reads: “Mr Burton did not receive adequate inspections of his wound and changes of dressings when the attendance at the diabetic foot clinic ceased to be weekly or fortnightly. The pandemic was a likely reason for this, but there might be other reasons in future for such changes.

“There was no evidence at inquest that alternative arrangements and revised care plan was made. The GP did not know of the reduction in clinic attendance or reduction in changes of dressing and assumed others were inspecting the wound and prescribed antibiotics without an examination being done.

“No witness was able to demonstrate any process of managing a patient who declined necessary potentially life-threatening care and probably lacked capacity to make the decision.”

Mr Burton was also suffering from Covid-19 at the time of his death. He tested positive for the disease on April 11, 2020, despite precautions taken by his nursing home.

Senior coroner, Andrew Harris, sent the prevention of future deaths report to staff at King’s College Hospital, QHS GP Care Home Service and Tower Bridge Care Home.

Pictured top: Mr Burton died at King’s College Hospital in Lambeth (Picture: Google Street View)