A bereaved family were left traumatised when they were called in to say goodbye to their grandmother but were shown the wrong body.
Patricia Riley, 81, died on September 13, at Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital, in Lincolnshire. Her family wanted to see her one last time but when they arrived, they were shocked to see a stranger’s body laying in front of them.
The family, who live near Boston, said they ‘could not describe how devastating it was’ for Patricia’s grandchildren, daughter and husband who were expecting to see their loved one.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, has issued an apology, saying it was ‘truly distressing’ for the family and that it was investigating.
Patricia’s husband Terry said his wife had died unexpectedly and they hadn’t had their chance to say goodbye.
‘The grandchildren were there and they hadn’t seen a dead body ever and here they were presented with a person who wasn’t their grandmother,’ he told the BBC. ‘We were all expecting to see Pat lying there. It was absolutely awful, it was dreadful.’
The couple’s daughter, Sheila Clark, said the devastating error should never have happened. ‘I couldn’t understand how such an enormous mistake could happen,’ she said.
‘It is something that shouldn’t have happened to anybody. I can’t explain how devastating it was really.’ The family said they can’t fault the care Patricia received during her hospital stay but the arrangements following her death have severely affected their trust of healthcare workers.
‘I want an assurance this isn’t going to happen to another family,’ Sheila added. ‘They need to review their policies, make sure their robust enough.’
