Margaret River farmer Bryan Abrahams, 85, died at Bunbury Hospital while being treated for fractured knee

The shock death of a Margaret River dairy farmer who was taken to Bunbury Hospital with a fractured knee cap after a fall has left his family and friends questioning whether the “poor standard of care” he received at the issue-plagued facility contributed to his death. Bryan Abrahams’ grieving loved ones are now pleading for answers and say they haven’t been able to get closure two months on from their loss. They believe the 85-year-old, who was still working on his farm until he was hospitalised, was not properly clothed, fed or given his heart medication. The disturbing allegations of “neglect” follow “toxic culture” revelations at the South West health campus which were leaked to The West Australian in a confidential report earlier his year. That report comes on top of numerous patient complaints including claims from an insider more could have been done to save “healthy” mother Melody Taripe who died in childbirth last July. However, Health Minister Roger Cook, Premier Mark McGowan, WA Country Health Service board chair Neale Fong and chief executive Jeff Moffet have continually reassured the public that Bunbury Hospital is both “safe” and “great”. Mr Abrahams was taken to Margaret River Hospital, which is battling severe staff shortages, after falling while feeding his calves. He was then transferred to Bunbury Hospital on April 5 “to have a thorough check-up”. While in hospital, Mr Abrahams told his family friends Elwyn and Jim Franklin that the “treatment was worse than the injury”. He was put on a “nil (food) by mouth” diet as the staff had concerns he may choke. Mrs Franklin told The West Australian that on the days she visited, Mr Abrahams did not have a nasogastric tube inserted, and said he had not eaten food or had his normal tablets for at least four days in total. She was worried he was not receiving enough nutrients and noticed his health and weight had deteriorated. “We were shocked and told the staff, ‘You can’t carry on like this, he’ll die’,” she said. To which she claims the doctor replied: “If it (the solid food) goes into his lungs and kills him, it’ll be on you”. This “disgusting” response “shocked” Ms Abrahams’ daughter, Annette, who lives in Tasmania. She was shown a copy of the statement Mrs Franklin provided police for the coroner’s investigation and said there were things that “distressed” and “horrified” her. “Dad had the right to a high standard of care, access to basic needs of food and water and warmth,” Ms Abrahams said. “And to not have an alternative way of feeding Dad was appalling and a huge failure in meeting basic care needs.” She was also disappointed her father was left with just pull-up pants and no clothes. “This would have made him feel so vulnerable, exposed and abandoned — such a dehumanising experience at the end of his life,” she said. Mrs Franklin said Mr Abrahams was also unable to reach the button to call the nurses for help. “I feel so angry and grief-stricken to think my dad would have been left like that, feeling so alone and unable to be heard or seen by staff as a person who deserved so much more,” Ms Abrahams said. “For someone who gave so much to others, including strangers and treated others with respect, it was such a callous way to be treated.” When his daughter tried to call the hospital, she could rarely get through. The communication inside the hospital was so dire that Mrs Franklin left her number on a notice inside Mr Abrahams’ room asking for physios, nurses or doctors to call and put Mr Abrahams on the phone. Mr and Mrs Franklin said on one of their visits, they found no staff in the foyer of the hospital or at the nurses’ station and had to “walk the ward” to find Mr Abrahams. Mrs Franklin pleaded for Mr Abrahams to be moved back to the Margaret River Hospital, so he would be closer to home and be able have a visit from his beloved dog Murray. She hoped there may have been more nurses to help him in Margaret River. A doctor agreed but said it would have to wait until after the weekend. Mr Abrahams died the day he was expected to be transferred. He was never reunited with Murray. “Dad may have still passed away on that day, but knowing what he went through in the last week of his life breaks my heart,” Ms Abrahams said. “I cry every time I think about what happened to him and how he may have felt.” Bunbury Hospital director of medical services Dr Sergey Bibikov said Mr Abrahams’ injuries were “serious”. He added: “While we can never replace his family’s loss, there is nothing to indicate his passing was the result of a clinical incident or something going wrong at our facility. “His ailments were complex and our staff worked hard to make him as comfortable as possible throughout the final stages of his life — including nutritional support when his swallowing was impaired. “I can’t begin to imagine how heartbreaking it is to watch someone you love deteriorate, but I have every confidence the staff at Bunbury Hospital are committed to providing the best care possible.” He said the hospital was yet to receive a formal complaint from the family, but vowed to follow up and listen — “not by way of media”. Opposition health spokesperson Libby Mettam said this illustrated a workforce that was both “under resourced” and “under significant pressure” at Bunbury Hospital. “Issues raised regarding medication, significant weight loss, concerns around the poor quality of care and communication must all be investigated,” Ms Mettam said. “This is clearly not an acceptable standard of care, we must do better and I would hope these concerns are properly investigated by the McGowan Government.” Health Minister Roger Cook was contacted for comment. Mr Abrahams will be remembered as a hard-working, gentle and quietly spoken man who was “always there to help out in times of need”. He “lived and breathed” farm life and operated the last of many dairy farms on Osmington Road, just 20km east of Margaret River.