A heartbroken daughter has hit out over her mother's death during the first Covid lockdown after discovering hospital staff put a "Do Not Resuscitate" order on her without a physical examination due to a shortage of PPE.
The startling revelation of what was apparently routine practice came as Michelle Rumball sought answers over why the decision not to intervene in her mum's ultimate death was made by medical staff.
Michelle, 50, last saw her mum Violet Partington, 78, on April 8, 2020, when she was rushed to Northwick Hospital in an ambulance struggling to breathe.
Only two weeks earlier, the UK had plunged into its first Covid lockdown and draconian 'Stay At Home' rules became the norm.
Almost three years after losing her mum, Michelle says she still has questions about how the decision to put instructions to not resuscitate her mum was made without physically examining her.
Holding back tears, Michelle told the Mirror: "It's like the high authority in the Government said let the bodies pile up - anybody over a certain age was dispensable."
When Michelle complained to the hospital after her mum's death she said the hospital explained that they didn't have enough PPE.
In the same letter sent to the family and seen by the Mirror, they wrote: "I appreciate your concern that this was signed when Dr [omited] had not physically examined your mother. I would like to assure you that this was a reasonable and acceptable practice during the height of the COVID pandemic in order to minimise risk and avoid depleting PPE stocks.
"Dr [omited], as the on-call consultant at the time, had reviewed your mother's case history, the doctor's examination findings, test results and xrays, and had seen your mother through the glass partition, nothing the parameters on the machines, and was the appropriate person to sign the DNRACPR."
DNACPR stands for 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' and it is also referred to as a DNR, or 'do not resuscitate'. This means if your heart or breathing stops your healthcare team will not try to restart it.
It is understood that neither NHS England nor the UK Health Security Agency had guidance on carrying out physical examinations or otherwise at this at the time in the lockdown.
However, during the same period, the government came under heavy criticism for its handling of PPE stocks and it would later transpire how top Tories issued supply contracts to firms on a 'VIP' basis.
During the first lockdown, PPE supplies were so dire that NHS staff were forced to buy protective kits from DIY stores, as the Mirror reported in April 2020.
At the time, we launched the “Protect Us” campaign on behalf of all those serving Britain in its time of need, demanding PPE for all NHS staff, carers, cleaners, porters, transport workers and anyone else at risk.
It highlighted the shortages of PPE available as NHS workers were forced to fly in their own gear after raising millions through crowdfunding.
And while frontline heroes struggled to source their own kits, Tory peer Michelle Mone has been linked to PPE Medpro, which was awarded two contracts during the pandemic through the Government's VIP lane.
The firm was just a few weeks old when it was given two contracts worth £203million to supply masks and medical gowns between May and June 2020.
By December 2020, the BBC reported that supplies from the firm worth £122m had never been used.
Leaked documents suggested that Baroness Mone had financially benefited from the company, the Guardian reported in November 2022.
Some of the protection gear was later found to be faulty though the company Baroness Mone recommended, Medpro, has insisted its gowns passed technical inspections and met contractual requirements.
It is claimed that £28.8m from the total £65m profits from the deal was moved in October 2020 to a trust, called Keristal, that allegedly has the peer and her children as beneficiaries.
Baroness Mone and PPE Medpro have previously denied any wrongdoing.
Michelle, from London, said: "My mum hadn't been feeling well but she wasn't showing the symptoms of Covid that the government talked about at the time.
"I phone her on April 8, 2020, and she was struggling to breathe, you could hear it and I said 'we need to get you to hospital'.
"I phoned my sister who phoned the ambulance, and we both went to my mum's house which we know you weren't supposed to but we didn't know when we would see her again.
"She died 19 hours later."
Michelle also claims the hospital didn't tell the family directly about placing the DNR.
In a letter seen by the Mirror, the hospital says that when they told the family that if Violet's organs failed she would not be resuscitated, this counted as being "informed of the DNACPR".
The letter adds: "I am extremely sorry that it was not clear from how this was explained to you that this was the case.
"I am also aware of a discrepancy with the signature on the DNACPR form itself where it was suggested that your mother signed the form.
"It was identified...that this did not happen, and that was only Dr [omited]'s signature on the form, and I apologise most sincerely for this misinformation."
Michelle says her hope for more answers now is through the forthcoming Covid public inquiry.
She said: "My mum didn't want to go to the hospital and she kept saying 'Im ok, Im ok' and I said 'this is the best place for you they will treat you'.
"We didn't know we were sending her to her death, we didn't know if she died alone - if she had known we would have rather had her at home."
Michelle says she comes from a very close family, and the loss of Violet has left a large hole in their lives. She said her mum enjoyed going to the horse races and by the seaside with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She said: "I used to see my mum every Saturday and we always arranged trips out
"She loved the seaside and the sand - she loved her children, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren and then Covid came and took her.
"I know my mum would have been calling out for us - she had four daughters and used to call us 'my girls',
"It's the not knowing, they took that away from us - I don't think this pain will ever go away."
A spokesperson for London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We offer our sincere condolences to Mrs Partington’s family. While we have a legal duty to honour her right to confidentiality, we can say that where relatives have concerns about the care we’ve offered a loved one, we encourage them to talk to us so we can investigate. In this case, we sent Mrs Partington’s family a detailed letter addressing the issues they have raised.
“Our clinical teams did their utmost to help every patient during an unprecedented time and our thoughts remain with those who lost loved ones.”
