By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Daughters of a deceased hospital patient have told an inquiry on 2 September that their mother ate I Cook Food sandwiches.
On their mother’s 89th birthday, Jo Woodstock and Fiona Wharry say they fronted the inquiry into I Cook Food’s closure to give their mother a voice and set the record straight.
They say their mother Jean Painter ate at least four packaged sandwiches at Knox Private Hospital – allegedly supplied by ICF.
On one occasion, she was unhappy with a serve of sandwiches. “They don’t taste very nice,” she said.
At the time, in early 2019, Ms Painter was living independently in a retirement village. Sociable, she had survived two bouts of cancer and was looking forward to living at least another five years.
On 13 January, she was admitted to Knox Private Hospital with gastroenteritis. She was on normal hospital food during her stay until 23 January, Ms Woodstock said.
She was placed on soft food after she was re-admitted with more severe illness on 25 January.
This was counter to a report by a Knox food inspector Ray Christy, who was told by Knox Private that Ms Painter had been on soft food only.
That is, sandwiches prepared in the hospital kitchen, not by ICF.
Ms Painter died in “great pain”; Ms Woodstock told the inquiry.
“Her deterioration was one of the most distressing things to witness.
“The vision of her suffering will always haunt us.”
Ms Woodstock said Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton’s evidence to the inquiry in 2020 was the “most balanced and accurate” in regards to her mother’s death.
She said his “fast and immediate” closure of ICF was “appropriate” and “possibly saved the lives of others”.
