A GP surgery has apologised for taking almost a week to issue a death certificate for a "loving" mum who died at home.
Denise Pemberton, 73, passed away last Thursday (July 28) following a short battle with cancer. She was given a terminal diagnosis earlier this year, after struggling to get a doctor's appointment at Central Park Medical Centre in Wallasey.
Her daughter, Nicola, told the ECHO : "My mum has been with the practice for a number of years and obviously, with covid, she struggled to get appointments. She did have a doctor come out to see her at the end of May who promised to do X-rays and blood tests. I went on holiday and came back 11 days later and she still hadn’t had any of these things done.
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" She took herself to hospital where she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Obviously the GPs were all phoning constantly then. She hadn’t been able to get appointments and actually only saw one doctor - a locum doctor - in person since she came out of hospital."
Denise was admitted to hospital last week after experiencing bouts of nausea and "took a turn for the worst" on Wednesday, July 27. The 73-year-old returned home, where she died the following morning, and her family spent six days battling to get her death certificate signed by a GP.
Nicola said: " I’ve been passed from pillar to post. Originally I was told a certain doctor was looking at it and I’d get a phone call but I heard nothing so I chased it up and still nothing. On Wednesday morning, I was told it wouldn’t be done until Friday so I literally sat in the doctor's surgery for three-and-a-half hours until they sorted it for me. It’s just diabolical that it’s taken that long."
Nicola said: “I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what we went through. It was so undignified. We have enough to deal with without all this as well. My mum was just such a loving woman. She had time for everyone and was so strong even right to the end. Although she knew she was poorly she was still thinking of everyone else.”
Nicola added: “When the doctors started ringing her after she was diagnosed and told her she was a priority, she was like ‘pity I wasn’t a priority before’. She was annoyed at how things panned out but she took it all on the chin. She wouldn’t have wanted us to battle in the way we have.”
A spokesperson for Central Park Medical Centre said: "On behalf of Central Park Medical Centre we would like to offer our sincere apologies for the delay in signing the death certificate following the passing of Ms Pemberton's mother Denise. This was due to the availability of the doctor who last saw Mrs Pemberton and a referral to HM Coroner for Wirral.
"The practice made every effort to try and resolve the situation as quickly as possible and the certificate was issued on August 3 2022. We understand this is a very difficult time and want to offer our condolences to the family’
"Throughout the covid pandemic, access to services was changed in accordance with national guidance to ensure that all patients were protected from the virus with specific measures being put in place for patients with a cancer diagnosis."
A spokesperson for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: "We also wish to extend our condolences to Ms Pemberton on the sad loss of her mother."
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