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  • Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Celiac UK Advocates Improved Hospital Care Following Tragic Weetabix-Related Death

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    The death of a 79-year old woman with celiac disease has Coeliac UK calling for improved hospital care for celiac patients.

    Celiac.com - 12/11/2023 - Coeliac UK, a charity dedicated to supporting individuals with celiac disease, is urging hospitals to enhance their care for celiac patients, emphasizing the need for improved awareness and adherence to dietary restrictions. 

    Their call comes in the wake of the tragic death of Hazel Pearson, a 79-year-old woman with celiac disease, who passed away after being mistakenly served Weetabix, a cereal containing gluten, despite explicit warnings from her family, and clear indications in her medical records.

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    The inquest into Mrs. Pearson's death revealed that neglect played a role, leading Coeliac UK's head of advocacy, Tristan Humphreys, to assert that her demise was a "clear failure of care that should never have been allowed to happen." He expressed concern about systemic shortcomings in supporting those with celiac disease when they require medical attention, citing a Coeliac UK survey indicating that 70% of respondents believed that catering and medical staff lacked knowledge about gluten-free diets and the risk of cross-contamination. Additionally, over three-quarters of respondents reported having family or friends bring them gluten-free food while in the hospital.

    Humphreys stressed that while Wales has mandatory food standards outlining the necessary level of care, these standards were not met in Mrs. Pearson's case. Coeliac UK is actively providing advice and guidance to ensure the safe provision of gluten-free food.

    The Betsi Cadwaladr health board, responsible for the care lapses in Mrs. Pearson's case, is now under scrutiny and has committed to reviewing care practices for celiac patients. The inquest revealed inadequate systems in place at the hospital, with Mrs. Pearson experiencing similar dietary oversights at a different hospital months before her death.

    Mrs. Pearson fell seriously ill after consuming Weetabix at Wrexham Maelor Hospital and succumbed to aspiration pneumonia four days later. The inquest stressed that the hospital should have been aware of her dietary restrictions but lacked proper systems to ensure compliance.

    Assistant coroner Kate Robertson, presiding over the inquest, expressed her intent to issue a warning to the health board regarding the risk of future deaths. The health board, criticized for a delayed response to Mrs. Pearson's death, is now tasked with reviewing the findings and taking appropriate action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

    Read more at bbc.com


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    Colonelswife

    Hospitals need to take a page out of Italy’s book- where there are strict Celiac laws in place. The number of hospitals in the U.S. that do not provide safe Gluten Free food for Celiac & NCGS patients is absolutely deplorable & inexcusable. 

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    OldNavyWife54

    I know of 3 hospitals in central Virginia who clearly do not understand Celiac Disease. The first 2 (in Fredericksburg) I could almost excuse because they’re smaller hospitals, but the 3rd is a large university hospital in Richmond. I had outpatient surgery in 2015 and before I could be discharged I need to eat something. They noted that I have Celiac, and that’s when pure confusion ensued. It was only when I asked if they had any small bags of Lay’s Potato Chips that things finally calmed down. I’m quite certain that they have a Department of Gastroenterology, so I was totally flabbergasted that this even happened. Honestly, what if I hadn’t been able to advocate for myself? This is so unreal that it’s almost laughable. The general lack of knowledge in hospitals in the United States concerning Celiac and the gluten free diet is honestly shameful.

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    plumbago

    If a hospital has coke machines/fountains or the cafeteria has a ton of processed carbohydrates, you can be fairly certain they don't care about nutrition. I would be satisfied if they first started to cut down on the amount of nutrition-poor food, and then moved on to gluten.

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  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


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