THE widow of a ‘fit and independent’ man who died after catching pneumonia in hospital has told an inquest of her heartbreak and upset at the lack of Covid measures at the time of her husband’s death. 

John Oliver Ramsden Porter, from Andover, died on December 15, 2021. 

At an inquest into his death on May 23, at Winchester Coroner’s Court, a statement from Mr Porter’s wife, Jenny, described him as a “fit and independent man” who enjoyed cycling, table tennis, writing and songwriting, cooking and gardening. 

The court heard how, on October 12, 2021, Mr Porter fell and hit his head in his garden.

The 76-year-old underwent various scans at hospital before being discharged. Over the next 10 days, Mr Porter suffered from a headache, which worsened on October 24 and he returned to the emergency department. He was discharged with a diagnosis of concussion.

But the following day, he was rushed to hospital and later diagnosed with a subdural haemorrhage - a traumatic brain injury.

He was transferred to Southampton hospital where he underwent surgery. However, he then contracted pneumonia. 

In late November, both he and his wife contracted Covid. On December 15, he was taken to the Countess of Brecknock Hospice in Andover, where he died a few hours later. 

Mrs Porter raised concerns about the measures in place to prevent Covid at the hospital. 

In a statemnet read at the inquest, she said: “I had been so careful not to contract Covid since 2020. It took away two weeks of being with my husband and it hurt not to be there, the longest we had been apart in 24 years.” 

She also expressed concerns that Mr Porter was not offered a CT scan when he returned to A&E on October 24.

Dr Helen Bates of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “I apologise on behalf of the trust that we may have missed an opportunity for referral.” 

However, she said it might not have changed the course of treatment. 

Dr Nick Williams said that in late 2021, visiting was just being reintroduced to hospitals and while everyone was “encouraged” to wear face masks, it was not something they could enforce.

Mr Porter’s cause of death was listed as pneumonia, followed by a subdural haemorrhage. Covid, alongside other underlying health conditions, were listed as secondary causes. 

Senior coroner Christopher Wilkinson declared a conclusion of accidental death, adding that, in his opinion, Mr Porter “would not have succumbed to pneumonia had he not been in hospital for the haemorrhage.”

He also added that “he did not die of Covid, but he did die with Covid.”

Mr Porter, a former bank manager and sales trainer, was a member of the Conservative Club in Andover.

A fundraising page launched in his memory raised more than £600 for the Countess of Brecknock Hospice. To make a donation go to john-oliverramsden-porter.muchloved.com

  • If you would like any help with bereavement, loss or mental wellbeing, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or Cruse Bereavement Care 0808 808 1677 

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