FAMILY members of a man with Down's syndrome who died from Covid-19 believe his death could have been avoided if hospital staff had acted differently.

The family of the man complained that he should have been admitted to intensive care for treatment and demanded an apology from the Morecambe Bay NHS trust over his care.

They also questioned hospital staff making a do not resuscitate order 'inappropriately early' during his treatment for the virus in the early days of the pandemic.

However after concerns were raised to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, a complaint was not upheld.

It found the trust acted in line with clinical standards in treatment of the man, named only as Mr A.

The man's brother, named as Mr O, complained to the ombudsman over the care he received between April 10 and 14 2020.

Mr O took issue with the DNR notice and claimed staff did not discuss it with the family or explain the potential impact.

Mr O claimed the trust’s early decision, and failure to explain the reason for the discussion with the family, led to the trust concluding that critical care was not appropriate for Mr A.

The report said Mr O 'believes his brother’s death could have been avoided if the trust had admitted him to its Intensive Therapies Unit.

It added: "Mr O wants the trust to admit its decision making was flawed for his brother, and to apologise for this.

"He also wants the trust to review its care of vulnerable people so people with learning difficulties, or reduced mental capacity, can receive equal access to care."

The ombudsman found that the trust acted according to guidelines and that the man's vulnerabilities did not play a part in decision marking.

In its decision, the ombudsman said: "We were sorry to learn of the devastating impact Mr A’s death had on his family.

"We recognise the scale of emotional distress this has caused them because of the care and treatment Mr A received.

"We can also understand the family feel let down by the trust, in terms of how they treat vulnerable patients.

"Based on the evidence we have decided to not uphold this complaint and will not make any recommendations to the trust.

"We consider that the trust’s decision to assess whether Mr A was suitable for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or intensive care treatment, early in his admission, was in line with the clinical standards at the time.

"We have seen no evidence that Mr A’s Down’s syndrome or learning difficulties played a part in the trust’s decision to carry out this assessment.

"From the evidence we have seen around decision making, the trust appropriately assessed Mr A’s frailty and considered his learning disability. Its decision not to offer CPR or intensive care treatment was also in line with the relevant clinical standards, and we consider the reasons for this decision were appropriately communicated to his family."