A 56-year-old man with Down syndrome suffered a preventable death after medical staff at an NHS hospital denied him food for nine days, his family said, highlighting what advocates decry as a devaluation of vulnerable lives in a system that too often fails those with disabilities.
Adrian Poulton was admitted to Poole Hospital in September 2021 following a fall at his care home that broke his hip. His condition initially improved, but doctors mistakenly marked him as “nil by mouth,” leaving him without nutrition during his stay.
By the time his relatives discovered the error, he was too weak to recover and died on Sept. 28, 2021, two weeks after admission. An internal hospital investigation confirmed that the lack of nutrition contributed to his death.
Poulton’s father, Derek, expressed shock at the oversight. “Not being medical, we just naturally thought he was having nutrition, a feed. But as it turns out, they were starving him.”
His sister, Lesley Bungay, recounted the heartbreaking final moments: “We were just so worried. He was really poorly. He did look at me and dad… He said to me, ‘Lesley, I don’t want to die.’ He knew he was going to die. It was just awful.”
From a pro-life standpoint, the case underscores a profound disregard for the inherent dignity of individuals with Down syndrome, whose lives are often marginalized in healthcare decisions. Pro-life advocates point to such tragedies as evidence of systemic biases against the disabled, echoing historical patterns where vulnerable populations face neglect or worse, and call for protections that affirm every life regardless of ability.
People with learning disabilities like Down syndrome die on average 20 years earlier than the general population, with nearly 40% of those deaths deemed avoidable due to inadequate care.
University Hospitals Dorset Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Wilson acknowledged the failings in a statement: “We offer our sincere condolences once again to [Adrian’s] family and have apologised for the failings that resulted in his death. At the time, we undertook a serious incident investigation to identify any learning points. We have implemented a number of changes following this and have shared these with the family.”
The hospital report recommended better training on care for patients with learning disabilities across the trust.
The incident comes amid broader concerns over NHS training shortfalls for staff handling learning disabilities and autism, with compliance rates far below targets and a sharp decline in specialist nurses.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the unequal outcomes for learning disabled people as “shocking.”
Disability campaigners have urged urgent intervention to prevent other people from dying.