Elderly man died after 'doctors proclaimed him DNR without consulting family' The observation chart detailing Mr Flockhart's most recent medical updates went missing, meaning doctors and nurses were unaware of changes to his condition, the inquest heard. Dr Riz Mohamed issued the DNR at 10.35am on the afternoon before Mr Flockhart's death, according to Miss Flockhart, and her siblings visited at 12pm but were not informed the order had been put in place. The family were later told Dr Mohamed had "intended" to inform them. The first Miss Flockhart heard of the DNR order was when a nurse phoned her at midnight that night to tell her that her father's condition was deteriorating. She told The Daily Telegraph: "I was completely shocked, my legs nearly went from underneath me." Guidance from the British Medical Association, Royal College of Nursing and Resuscitation Council states it is good practice for medics to consult with families before putting on a DNR notice, saying relatives should help inform the decision-making process. Mr Flockhart, a father-of-three from South Ockendon, Essex, was admitted to Basildon Hospital with chest pains on November 26, 2008, which were later diagnosed as severe pneumonia. He was described as happy and chatty, but noticeably suffering from lack of breath, and was given a 40 per cent chance of survival. His condition deteriorated that night, and hospital staff rang his daughter to inform her. "I was shocked to hear that," she said. My brother and my sister had visited him that day and said he was chatty and alert, and trying to play with his granddaughter. We were not given any indication whatsoever of what a precarious state he was actually in. Expert witness Dr William Trounceon told the inquest, at Basildon Coroner's Court, that Mr Flockhart's pneumonia was probably a "survivable illness" and the care he received could have been better. Miss Flockhart, from London, said: "We appreciate that it is sometimes appropriate to put a resuscitation order in place, however we feel that the patient themselves or family representatives should be consulted. We now want to urge other people to be brave enough to raise the issue of DNR decisions with doctors. We were stripped of the opportunity to seek a second opinion. What was absent from my father's care plan was a considered plan of what would happen as a patient with pneumonia, that he may run into difficulties breathing and he may need other forms of intervention. A spokeswoman from Basildon Hospital said: "Since Mr Flockhart's death, we have made changes, and it goes without saying that the Trust will respond to any further recommendations the coroner makes. We understand that this has been a very difficult and prolonged process for the family and sincerely hope that the coroner's findings will provide them with closure.