Lincoln model distraught as hospital makes same mistake that paralysed her

A Lincoln disabled model says she is sickened that the hospital responsible for her paralysing injury was found to have made the same mistake again.

“What lessons have been learned?” asked Lincolnite 30 Under 30 star Lucy Dawson on her TikTok post, as she relived her experience.

As reported earlier this week, United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust was fined 100k after an elderly patient suffered severe burns when she was rolled onto an exposed radiator pipe.

Boston Magistrates’ Court was told that Iris Longmate – who was close to her 100th birthday – died 11 days after the incident at Lincoln County Hospital (March 3, 2019), although not as a result of the burns.

She has suffered a fractured spine and cut to her head when she fell unconscious. In the resuscitation process, she had been rolled onto an exposed pipe – which was about 60 degrees.

“[NHS] permanently paralysed me through their exposed pipework,” explained Lucy. “I has a seizure while suffering from a brain disease and rolled onto one of these pipes.

“Since then I have spoken about it so publicly and the trust have apologised to me […] saying, lessons will be learned.

“What was the point of [Iris Longmate’s injury]? It was so easily avoidable, so unnecessary, and this woman didn’t need to experience that.

“I am so terribly sorry to her family, because this should never have happened.

“I am distraught. I thought I had given them enough bad press about this. Enough bad press for them to get it fixed, and enough reason to get it fixed.

“I was 21 when they permanently paralysed me because they didn’t have protection over their pipework.

“You know what would have cost the NHS less than £100k? – The NHS, which is so underfunded. If they’d have just paid to have the radiators covered.

“What will it take? Are they going to do it now?

“Sick doesn’t even cut how I feel right now.

“Please let it be a lesson, because it clearly wasn’t last time.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story quoted an incorrect statement from Lucy Dawson, who said her injuries were suffered in an ULHT facility. This was actually an LPFT facility, while Iris’ case was in an ULHT facility. The article was amended throughout to reflect this.