A Nottingham family is still waiting for answers more than a year after the passing of a loving husband, father and grandfather. Sean Durcan, from Bilborough, died on December 31, 2021 from a blocked heart stent, but his family have shared their frustration as they say there are questions as to why more was not done to help the 59-year-old.
Mr Durcan had seen his GP at Grange Farm Medical Centre, Bilborough on 7th December 2021 after suffering from chest, neck and jaw pain. The father of five had stents placed in his heart in 2015 after suffering a minor heart attack at home and then cardiac arrest in hospital.
The family said that Mr. Durcan returned home after his appointment in high spirits, informing them that there was no problem with his heart and that he had just had a bit of indigestion and anxiety. However, after his death, the family is asking for answers as to why they did not send Mr. Durcan for an ECG (Electrocardiography), saying his blood pressure and heart rate were not measured.
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Mr. Durcan and his wife, Ann Sedgwick, were married for almost 40 years. Ann said: “As you can imagine, we are deeply saddened by what happened to Sean. He was generally in good health and looking after himself, so any appointment or check-up, Sean would be there.”
“His stents were never checked and he has broken our family apart because a wonderful father, grandfather and husband have been taken from all of us. Sadly, we will never be the same again.”
A spokesperson for the practice said: “As healthcare professionals, we pride ourselves on providing the best possible care and advice to patients to ensure their health and well-being. While we cannot comment on individual patient details, we would like to express our deep Condolences to the family involved.
“The practice is aware of the case and has been treating it seriously, an internal investigation has been conducted and we are in contact with the family.”
Ann and her daughter Sian Durcan, 22, say they filed a complaint last March and are waiting for an answer to their question, but are still waiting for a doctor’s report.
The carer, Claire Cresswell, 37, of Chesterfield, explained that after the incident in 2015, Durcan “never went to a cardiologist and nobody called him to get these stents checked.”
He explained that nothing changed until March 2021, when Durcan was taken off his heart medication.
Claire said: “Then in early December he got his coronavirus shots and I was like dad you look white and he was saying to my mom, ‘I feel like I have an apple in the back of my throat.'” Claire claimed doctors told Sean there was nothing wrong with his heart during his appointment, but he was still out of breath afterwards, so she called the doctor’s office again on December 15 and 23. .
A week later, on December 31, 2021, Durcan woke up just after 2 a.m. and asked Ann to call an ambulance.
He died at home and is believed to have died of a blocked stent in the left side of his heart.
Claire said: “We just don’t understand why he wasn’t sent to hospital, and I understand that my father should have gone to hospital himself, but if he’s gone to his GP and his GP reassures him, it’s not your heart you trust. in them”.
Sian added: “We’re all really devastated and really upset. Why wasn’t a simple ECG done to show the blockage, a trip to A&E, probably an overnight stay in hospital and he’d still be here?
“It is absolutely horrible, and we have been waiting over a year for this complaint and have contacted them numerous times.” Claire added: “He was such a brilliant father, brilliant grandfather and at 59 he is ageless.
“It just devastated all of us, how can you be here one minute and then the next minute just wake up and die? He had five children and numerous grandchildren who adored him. It’s so devastating now.”
Mr. Durcan also leaves behind daughter Kerry Sedgwick and sons Craig Sedgwick and Callum Durcan and many grandchildren.
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