Yvonne Ford, 59, died after being scratched by a puppy while on holiday in Morocco – the family questioned whether the NHS was ready to handle her condition
The family of a woman died after contracting rabies from a dog scratch have raised questions about how the NHS handled her condition. Yvonne Ford, 59, passed away weeks after being scratched by a puppy during a holiday in Morocco earlier this year.
She contracted rabies from the scratch and sadly died in hospital on June 11. A pre-inquest hearing, attended by Yvonne’s family including her daughter Robyn Thomson and husband Ron Ford, took place at Sheffield’s Medico Legal Centre today (December 5), ahead of the full inquest next year.
It comes as the family prepare for their first Christmas without their “beautiful mum” and what would have been her milestone 60th birthday. Yvonne from Barnsley became unwell at the end of May and, despite receiving treatment at Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, she tragically lost her life.
In court today, the family questioned if the NHS was adequately “ready” to manage a diagnosis as serious as Yvonne’s. During the pre-inquest hearing, they also voiced concerns about the information relayed to them throughout Yvonne’s treatment, including a phone call where they were allegedly assured that Yvonne “did not have rabies”, reports Yorkshire Live.
Addressing the court, Ron stated: “I want to ask the doctors themselves why certain things were missed.”
Addressing the family, Assistant Coroner Ms Whittle explained that despite the family’s “burning desires to ask [doctors involved in Yvonne’s case] certain questions,” the coroner’s duty was to establish the “who, what, when, where and how” of the case.
Six witnesses were scheduled to appear before a jury – owing to the illness being categorised as “notifiable”.
Earlier this year, Yvonne’s daughter Robyn penned a heartfelt tribute to her mother on Facebook.
The tribute stated: “Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others.
“Yvonne Ford, Ron Ford’s wife and our Mum, died of rabies. She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February. At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn’t think much of it. Two weeks ago she became ill, starting with a headache and resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow. Resulting in her passing.”
A comprehensive four-day inquest into Yvonne’s death is scheduled to commence next year from March 2.
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