A FORMER pub licensee in Aspatria died in a care home after a biopsy to investigate a tumour in her brain 'went wrong', an inquest heard.

Patricia Hazlewood, 77, died at Dalton Court Care Home in Cockermouth on July 31, 2024, where she had been a resident since being discharged from hospital on May 24.

A CT scan performed on Mrs Hazlewood in January 2024 when she was under the Memory in Later Life service showed a lesion in her brain for which she was transferred to the neurology department at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle for further assessment.

A statement submitted to Cockermouth Coroner’s Court by Mr Hussain, a consultant neurosurgeon at the RVI, said that at a multi-disciplinary meeting with clinicians it was deemed that the lesion was likely to be a primary brain tumour.

He said that the 'risks were discussed' but a 'tissue analysis was needed to verify this prior to any treatment'.

Mrs Hazlewood underwent the biopsy on March 12 and 'minimal' bleeding was encountered at the biopsy site.

A statement by Dalton Court Care Home manager Sonia Norris said that after this procedure, Mrs Hazlewood began vomiting and experienced a drop in blood pressure.

Mr Hussain said that a second scan was performed 'to see if the bleed had settled' and a craniotomy was performed to evacuate further bleeding which the ultrasound had detected.

Mr Hussain’s statement said this was 'to prevent further neurological deficit and risk to life',

He said that post-operatively, Mrs Hazlewood was 'confused', and needed help with 'all aspects of care'.

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Despite receiving continued care on the ward, he said Mrs Hazlewood was 'only making small amounts of progress' and arranged for her to be transferred to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle for ongoing care.

Ms Norris said when Mrs Hazlewood was transferred from the Cumberland Infirmary to Dalton Court Care Home, the neurologist and oncologist had advised to treat her palliatively.

She said that her husband Tom and son Michael visited her regularly at the home.

Ms Norris said that Mrs Hazlewood required the assistance of staff in a 'number of aspects of day-to-day life', and had trouble with speech and communication.

She said that Mrs Hazlewood suffered a 'slow decline', though with brief periods of apparent improvement, and was treated for pain management until she died.

A GP report submitted to the court said that prior to her biopsy, Mrs Hazlewood was 'generally otherwise fit and well', though diagnosed with osteoarthritis and high blood pressure.

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Assistant Coroner for Cumbria, Mr Robert Cohen, accepted the cause of death offered of subdural intercranial haemorrhage due to a complication of a tumour biopsy, and concluded that Mrs Hazlewood's death was by misadventure.

He said: "She died as a result of a haemorrhage that she sustained in the course of a biopsy, and that was a human act which unexpectedly or unintentionally went wrong."

A family statement read out to the court paid tribute to Mrs Hazlewood.

It said: "Pat was born in the family home in (Wigton) with two older sisters and an older brother.

"She went on to work in a factory from leaving school.

"She then met Tom in the early-to-mid sixties and they were married in 1968.

"They moved into their home in Aspatria, and their beloved son Michael arrived in 1976.

"She worked in a local shop and primary school canteen, and then became the licensee of a popular pub in Aspatria.

"These jobs made her into a well-respected member of the community in Aspatria and the local area.

"She was a devoted wife to Tom, a loving mum and nana to four grandchildren, and a loving auntie and friend to many of the local community."