The family of a dedicated NHS nurse has stated she was 'let down in the worst way possible' after she died just hours after doctors dismissed her 'horrendous' chest pain as indigestion.
A Tragic Timeline of Events
Paediatric nurse Paula Ivers, 47, attended Tameside Hospital in Greater Manchester in March 2024 experiencing what she described to her partner as 'crushing' chest pain 'worse than childbirth'.
Despite her severe symptoms and a family history of cardiac problems, Dr Osama Ahmed assessed Ms Ivers as 'low risk'.
The inquest heard that medical staff discharged her with advice to buy a bottle of Gaviscon, an over-the-counter remedy for indigestion.
Tragically, just three hours after returning home, Ms Ivers was found dead by her young daughter.
Systemic Failures and a Cruel Irony
A subsequent investigation revealed that Paula Ivers had suffered from an aortic dissection, a serious condition in which a tear occurs in the inner layer of the body's main artery.
While CT scans are the most common method for diagnosing this deadly condition, Dr Ahmed did not order one. Doctors did, however, conduct blood tests and a chest X-ray.
Dr Ahmed later told the inquest he now recognises that Ms Ivers was not low-risk and should have been hospitalised immediately.
Ms Ivers' sister, Lesley Ivers, who is also a nurse, poignantly told the inquest: 'It is a cruel irony that Paula was a fierce advocate and defender of the NHS, yet when she needed it most, she was let down.'
A Family's Grief and a Quest for Answers
Ms Ivers' partner, Simon Norbury, recounted how the hospital had 'reassured' them that the pain was not related to her heart.
'We were shocked to have lost her when we were told it was indigestion and there was nothing to worry about,' Mr Norbury said.
Her family has remembered Paula as a 'caring, smart, determined and loyal' woman who was the heart of her family and passionately devoted to the children in her care.
The coroner has adjourned the inquest until June next year due to doctors' strikes. The family continues to seek answers regarding the misdiagnosis and poor care they believe led to her preventable death.
