Bill Trotter died in Cumbria in July 2024 – his children still feel they have been denied justice
Bill Trotter, who died in Carlisle in July 2024(Image: Trotter family)
The family of a Washington born man who died in hospital in Carlisle are continuing to fight for justice in his case – two years after his death and while his body remains “in cold storage” at the Royal Victoria Infirmary on Tyneside. Bill Trotter, 73, died following treatment at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle in July 2024.
His family have repeatedly raised concerns about his care and are now taking this up with both the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and the office of the Attorney General – both agencies have opened formal investigations. The hope is that these agencies will order an inquest takes place.
This comes as Bill’s children Mike and Kelly push for a full inquest to be held – which they say will reveal what went wrong with his care. Bill’s remains are being kept in Newcastle as the family believe a further post-mortem may be necessary. The family allege that he was misdiagnosed several times – and that he had a leg amputation they believe may not have been necessary.
Bill, who was born and brought up on Wearside but lived much of his adult life in Cumbria, died after slipping into a diabetic coma. His family has seen medical records showing that his blood sugar levels fell to 1.2 – a serious “hypo” – after he was given a significant amount of medication. Initially, this was not reported to the national records service which tracks severe diabetes harm events and it had initially been referred to in documentations as having only fallen to 2.4.
Last year ChronicleLive reported how Bill’s family had his medical records and had been able to show this was not the case. By that time, it was also accepted by NHS bosses that Bill did not have an abscess on his backside at the time he was last admitted to hospital.
Bill Trotter, who died in Carlisle in July 2024(Image: Trotter family)
But this claim was repeated in a post-mortem report – which has been questioned by Mike and Kelly. They say that the decision not to hold a full inquest based on this report should be re-evaluated.
The family said Bill’s final days had felt akin to “torture” and highlighted how their dad was left around 16 days between it being noted that he had a bladder issue before he had a catheter fitted – and it was found he had retained almost a litre of urine.
Mike Trotter told ChronicleLive: “We have had to escalate every aspect of this case as far as we possibly can because, at every stage, we kept coming up against red tape and brick walls. If it hadn’t been for the support of my MP and others who were prepared to listen, I genuinely believe these concerns would have been brushed under the carpet.
“Families should not have to fight this hard just to have their concerns properly considered. It’s not right, and it’s not fair.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust – which runs the Carlisle hospital – said: “The Trust has previously conducted a detailed complaint investigation to which we have responded in full and shared the outcome with the family.
“In line with the NHS Complaints Process, the Trust advised the family to refer to the PHSO following the completion of our complaint investigation and we are pleased that they will now help all parties to address any outstanding concerns.
“We are truly sorry we have not been able to resolve their concerns and we are responding to any requests made by the PHSO and Attorney General’s office for information in a timely and open way to ensure that resolution can happen as quickly as possible in recognition of how difficult this process can be.
“It is important the PHSO is allowed to proceed with their review independently and it would be inappropriate for us to make further comment at this time. We look forward to receiving the PHSOs conclusions once the review has been finalised.”
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