'We'll never forgive staff over Teresa"

"I will take the actions of Dr John Griffith and nurse Belinda Clark to my grave," said Sheila Innes, the aunt of Teresa, who would have celebrated her 41st birthday today.

"I will never forgive them - never."

Yesterday, at the end of a week-long inquest into Miss Innes's death, Bradford Coroner Roger Whittaker concluded in a narrative finding that she had died because of a "catalogue of mistakes" by staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The mother-of-one was left in a persistent vegetative state in September 2001 after being given magnapen - which contained penicillin - to treat an abscess on her leg despite the fact she was wearing an allergy bracelet to warn staff of her intolerance to the drug. She was 38 when the High Court ruled that life supporting treatment could be withdrawn and she was allowed to die in August 2003.

Every day this week Miss Innes, 51, of Bournemouth and her sister Mrs Maureen Brook, 42, have taken their seats at Bradford Coroner's Court to hear evidence of what caused their niece's death. Yesterday Mr Whittaker praised the way they had handled the gruelling task saying: "I am impressed by the fortitude you have both shown."

Giving his findings, Mr Whittaker strongly criticised Mr Griffith, a consultant surgeon, who advised the drug containing penicillin be prescribed to Miss Innes.

The inquest had also heard how the fatal prescription was made up by Belinda Clark, who was aware of Miss Innes's allergy but did not know penicillin was found in magnapen.

Mr Whittaker called for better labelling of medication to prevent such a tragedy happening again.

The drug was prescribed by junior Doctor James Storey, who did not know of her allergy, and who offered the family a personal apology when he gave his evidence.

"It has been a very hard week," said Miss Innes. "I knew all along what happened to Teresa but I have now changed my view slightly.

"I don't apportion any blame to Dr Storey at all. I shook his hand this week and thanked him for his apology which was greatly appreciated by the both of us.

"But as far as the others, no, we didn't speak to them. Dr Storey is the only one who showed genuine remorse.

"If Nurse Clark did not know what was in the drug why was she administering it? If Dr Griffith did not have Teresa's notes he should have asked."

Miss Innes said she was happy with the verdict, which Mr Whittaker gave as a narrative finding, although she said the family had hoped criminal prosecutions would have gone ahead.

A file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service by Mr Whittaker but a decision was taken not to charge anyone.

"We hope lessons have been learned," said Miss Innes, who praised hospital staff who cared for her niece in her final years.

"As far as I am concerned the hospital Trust, at the beginning and after her ultimate death was very good.

"When it first happened I believe that if we were allowed to meet the staff concerned it would have stopped a lot of the heartache and the bad feeling because we were taking our anger out on other people who were just trying to pick up the pieces of someone else's mistake.

"They did take a lot of flack for it and I would like to apologise to them, the nurses on intensive care and on ward two.

"They were wonderful and they accommodated us in every way they could."

Miss Innes had one son Scott, who did not attend the inquest. The question of compensation has been dealt with, according to the sisters, although they have not been privy to the details.

Now they hope to move on from the events of the last five years which left them living in limbo.

"We can look forward now but we will never forget Teresa. She would have been partying today - out celebrating her birthday," said Miss Innes.

"She was a party girl who brought joy to everyone. We have very fond memories of her."

Miss Innes and Mrs Brook were today visiting their niece's grave at a cemetery in Edgerton in Huddersfield, the town where she was born and where she returned to be buried with her mother Marie and her grandmother Mabel Innes.

"It is over now," said the sisters. "We have to lay her to rest and get on with our lives."

Speaking after the verdict a spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals said: "We deeply regret the tragic events that took place in September 2001 and would like to take this opportunity to express once again a full apology to Teresa's family and friends for what happened.

"They continue to have our fullest sympathies.

"Although an extremely rare occurrence, it is one from which we - and the wider NHS - are determined to learn lessons.

"As an organisation which prides itself on the quality of patient care it provides, we are committed to taking all possible steps to reduce the risk of a similar tragedy happening again.

"We welcome the Coroner's findings that our systems in place in 2001 were not responsible for the tragedy, as well as his comments about the positive action we have taken in the four and a half years since this tragedy.

"We are committed to build further on these improvements in the future."