8 Sep 2017

Patient unlikely to have injected insulin herself, court told

6:36 pm on 8 September 2017

It is unlikely that a 64-year-old woman who died after her blood sugar dramatically dropped could have administered insulin herself, a nurse has told an inquest.

Heather Bills

Heather Bills Photo: Supplied

Heather Anne Bills died at Middlemore Hospital in 2013, six weeks after she was badly burned in a fire at her Orakei home.

While she was at hospital her condition deteriorated quickly and unexpectedly.

Middlemore Hospital

Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Police said medical staff missed that she was going through a hypoglycaemic event for several hours before it was too late to reverse.

A nurse who helped treat Mrs Bills, Tania Scahill told the coroner in an inquest at the Auckland District Court that there was no need for her to be given insulin

Ms Scahill said it was unlikely Mrs Bills could have administered insulin to herself as her hands were heavily bandaged.

Police said they had not been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt whether or not someone injected Mrs Bills.