A grieving family has demanded answers after a beloved grandfather’s harrowing ordeal in hospital ended his life.
Russell Bates, 76, enjoyed belated Christmas celebrations with family on December 30 before he blacked out and had a fall.
He was rushed to Queensland’s Logan Hospital, where he spent the first seven hours in a corridor waiting for a bed due to ambulance ramping.
Within a fortnight, the retired school principal was dead after a series of health system failures.
Mr Bates’ family claim that he was misdiagnosed more than once due to staff shortages.
Over the next 10 days, his health rapidly deteriorated as his concerned family demanded more tests to be done.
Doting grandfather Russell Bates (pictured) died within 12 days of being admitted to hospital
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By day five, his heart was failing and on day 10, Mr Bates was rushed to ICU with hospital-acquired pneumonia.
He also had a perforated bowel and sepsis.
Mr Bates underwent emergency surgery but within two days, his family made the heartbreaking decision to turn his life support off.
The family believe Mr Bates would still be alive today if it wasn’t for a series of failures.
‘He walked in there a relatively healthy man up until that minor fall and left in a body bag,’ his daughter Michelle Dunne told Seven News.
‘I kept telling them and telling them, ‘please do more tests’.’
Mr Bates’ son David added: ‘The nurses were so concerned about Dad. They were running around the hospital looking for people to help him.’
The family claim they were told by a surgeon that their dad ‘wasn’t sick enough’ to operate.
Nurses then urged Mr Bates’ family to utilise Ryan’s Rule – a three-step process to ensure a patient is thoroughly checked if their condition is getting worse or not improving as well as expected.
But the family claim it resulted in more missteps by doctors, despite assurances.
‘We seemed powerless,’ Ms Dunne said.
‘The kidney doctor on day 11 said to us, ‘we wish we’d known about this three days ago, he could’ve had a chance’. That broke me.’
David fought back tears as he recalled his final conversation with his father moments before he was wheeled in to undergo emergency surgery.
‘The 10 minutes we got to say goodbye, I said to Dad, ‘how much fight do you have left in you?’ He said ‘I’ll keep fighting, mate, if you do’ – and we are,’ he said.
Mr Bates’ cause of death is yet to be determined.
The family has also been told that the coroner’s office is yet to receive the autopsy report which could take up to two years.
Russell Bates’ health quickly deteriorated in hospital before he was rushed to ICU on day 10. His life support was switched off two days later
Logan Hospital has launched a ‘comprehensive review’ into Mr Bates’ care.
An independent review into Mr Bates’ death is also underway.
‘Logan Hospital has been in contact with Mr Bates’ family and is committed to providing ongoing support,’ Logan and Beaudesert Health Service executive director Anne Coccetti said.
‘As this incident is now with the coroner, Logan Hospital is unable to provide further comment.’
Queensland health minister Shannon Fentiman has also offered to meet with Mr Bates’ family to hear what happened.
The family issued a plea to the minister and Queensland Premier Steven Miles.
‘Enough is enough – fix your system,’ David said.
‘Us fighting isn’t going to bring Dad back but how can we get message out to the health minister, to the government, to ensure this doesn’t happen to someone else’s family.’
His sister added: ‘It’s got to stop.’
Several reviews into Russell Bates’ care at Logan Hospital (pictured) are now underway