The family of Brian Dean, a 44-year-old father of two who died from sepsis just 24 hours after being discharged from Geelong Hospital, is calling for a coronial inquest to determine whether his death was preventable.
Brian was admitted to the hospital on July 1, 2023, with influenza symptoms, but was discharged the following morning.
He returned to the hospital around 12 hours later with severe sepsis and died shortly after.
His family is now seeking answers and accountability, claiming that earlier treatment with antibiotics could have saved his life.
Brian’s widow, Sandra, described her husband as “cheeky, fun, loyal, and trustworthy” and said his death has “obliterated” their family.
“He was so involved.
The minute he walked in the door, he was bathing, cooking dinner if he needed to.
He would step into every moment that he could,” she recalled.
The family’s lawyer, Rachel Seager from Shine Lawyers’ medical negligence team, has made submissions to the coroner in support of an inquest.
“We’ve obtained strong expert evidence that says Brian should have received antibiotics when he went to Geelong hospital, and that if he’d received antibiotics, he would have survived,” she said.
Barwon Health’s Chief Medical Officer, Ajai Verma, expressed condolences to the Dean family but declined to comment further, citing the matter being before the courts.
The family is also preparing to launch legal action against Barwon Health.
The coronial inquest, if granted, may provide recommendations to hospitals across the state about protocols for identifying and treating patients suffering from sepsis.
In the meantime, Sandra Dean urged anyone who may have experienced similar circumstances to come forward, saying, “If Brian’s death can help other families or other people advocate for themselves in hospital, so this doesn’t happen to anyone else – or it might stall it happening for someone else – then we all deserve that.”