Tributes to young Basildon dad who died in Broomfield A&E after saying he 'felt he was dying of chest pains'

HOSPITAL chiefs are investigating after a dad-of-three died in front of other patients after waiting for over an hour complaining of chest pains in a busy A&E waiting room.

Thomas "Tomboy" Casey, 34, (both above) from Basildon, died at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, on Friday, after being given painkillers despite his son begging staff for emergency care.

A number of posters on Facebook said they witnessed the harrowing incident, which initially did not appear to be taken seriously by hospital staff, despite Thomas laying on the floor saying he "felt like he was dying."

His grieving son, 19, also called Thomas, who was with him said his dad had been to Basildon Hospital the day before but went home after a six to seven hour wait and he had still not been seen by a doctor.

He said: "My father entered Broomfield A&E and I told the triage nurse that my father had a cardiovascular issue and she took his measurements and she told me there was no cardiac issue, but clearly there was because when I was in the hospital one of the nurses that was treating my father when he was in resuscitation told me that it was a pipe from his heart, but I was all shook up because my father died in front of me.

"So it was a cardiovascular issue and I knew it was, he was having a heart attack. He was in there for two hours and you know what they just gave him - bloody paracetamol and a urine pot and told him to pee in it.

"That was when he was laying on the floor and I was rubbing his back and I saw him go blue and rolled him over and I will never forget it.

"He was just 34. My blood is boiling, the anger that I am feeling at the moment is indescribable and the hole it has left in my family will never be filled.

"The NHS killed my father and I will never forget that. The NHS is destroyed, it has disintegrated and they killed my father, they did nothing to help him, even when he was turning blue."

Mr Casey, 19, said his father was a humble man from the travelling community, who had him at the age of 15 and had built up an empire from having nobody and nothing through a bricklaying business.

He added: "While my dad was dying all they did was lock me in a room and say I was going to be apprehended all because I was trying to get them to treat him."

In a tribute on Facebook, he added: "I never thought I'd be able two say this, but the man, the myth and the legend, my father Tomboy Casey, there will never be a day that goes by I don't wish to see your smile again.

"My father I love you more than words will know and mark my words there will never be a day or hour I won't make you proud my father.

"You left a legacy that will stand the test of time and the man you were and the heart you had will never be beat."

Thomas senior's nephew Jimmy Gammell posted on Facebook with screenshots of comments about the incident: "How can this be real, my lovely uncle?"

One poster said: "We were in A&E. There was a poor man aged 34 who came in with chest pains and saying he was having a heart attack. His son was trying to tell them to help him.

"They said it was not a heart attack and gave him pain medication. He was rolling around in a lot of pain and the staff would not help him.

"An hour later he dropped down dead in A&E in front of everyone."

The poster said his son said he had been "turning blue" and told staff who said they would see if a doctor was available."

Louise McCormack, 36, from Chelmsford, posted: "We saw the whole thing. My husband was trying to console his poor son. It was an absolute shambles having worked in the NHS myself I could not believe what was happening. The son was begging the nurses and the receptionists to help his dad. The dad was a young man. He was told he was being rude, which he wasn't. They were doing CPR in the middle of the A&E waiting room in front of everyone

When I asked them for a screen for some privacy the receptionist told me that maybe everyone should look the other way."

Mrs McCormack, who was in A&E with her husband Anthony, 41, at the time, later said: "We were standing in the triage queue about 7pm and saw a man and his son come in not long after us. The dad looked clearly in distress and pain. They went ahead of us in the queue and we saw them speak to a nurse who wasn't quite sure what to do."

She said the man was led to a chair and had observations while the son checked him in at reception where a lot of what seemed like unnecessary questions were asked.

She added: "Throughout the period of time he was waiting to see another healthcare professional we could see that he was in a lot of pain and couldn't get comfortable and was groaning. We saw the dad go up several times and he was telling them he felt like he was dying but was told he needed to wait his turn.

"He was given paracetamol but they asked for something stronger.

"We saw him lying on the floor of the seating area, presumably trying to get comfortable. My husband says he heard him saying he felt like he was going to die."

She said he was later called in to be triaged and came back out, but sat right by the automatic doors back into the waiting area before laying down.

She said: "We saw a nurse come over and we heard the son saying that his dad 'was going blue and would someone please help him 'for the love of  God' with his hands clasped together.

"The nurse seemed to look at the dad and froze and then she left through the doors. We heard her say to get the doctor. It was quite some time before they both arrived back. We saw his son trying to wake his dad."

She said a doctor came through and realised the seriousness after asking why he was laying on the floor.

She said: "We saw her and a nurse heave him away from the wall and onto his back.

"She then started CPR and told the nurse to put out an arrest call. The alarm then went off and alot of other people arrived to help.

"At this point I went to the receptionist to ask if a screen could be put up to give the dad some dignity and privacy. As well as shielding the remaining patients who were all visabley distressed and panicking.

"The flow manager told me that maybe everyone could look the other way which I was dumbstruck about. She did not care."

"Then a screen appeared and obviously we couldn't see what was happening but everyone could hear what was going on. After they moved the dad to resus we all were absolutely horrified and several of us began to discuss how badly managed it all was and how they had mucked up.

"We have both been healthcare professionals in the past and I used to attend cardiac arrests frequently. The whole thing was a shambles."

All of the claims have been put to the NHS trust which runs the hospital.

Christine Blanshard, Chief Medical Officer at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust said: "Our condolences go out to the patient’s family. We will be investigating the care he received and inviting his family to meet with us and discuss their concerns.”

Last week the same hospital trust was told to review and improve its cancer services after the death of a woman whose treatment was delayed.

The son of a woman, 67, referred to only as Mrs S took the case to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) after she was treated at Broomfield Hospital in January 2023 but died three months later.

The PHSO said the trust delayed investigating and treating her ovarian cancer and she had been unsafely discharged from hospital.

Separately, the trust was last week accused by a coroner of withholding vital information about how a patient died.

Gregory Dervin, 35, suffered a brain injury after he fell at the hospital in May 2024.

NHS staff had told Essex Coroner's Court there was no first-hand report written about the incident, but it emerged on Thursday there was one.

Area coroner Sonia Hayes said during Mr Dervin's inquest she was "shocked and disappointed" with the trust, adding: "there cannot be a clearer case that the court was misled."

Olivia Gittins, representing the trust, said there was "nothing I can say that will take away from how unacceptable this is", however, she insisted that the information had not been withheld deliberately.