A DOCTOR of Asian origin died after a botched surgery for a rare condition that he was an expert on, a coroner has ruled.
Professor Amit Patel (43), a pioneer in stem cell transplantation, was admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital in August 2021 with flu-like symptoms suspected to be linked to a throat infection.
Dr Patel recognised that he had HLH, or Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a condition when immune cells become overactive and attack the body, but the medical staff ignored his pleas.
He told his wife Shivani Tanna, a general practitioner, “I’m going to die here”, the inquest heard. He died weeks later in October.
The medical staff had consulted the specialist HLH panel and a procedure was recommended to look inside his lungs.
But the procedure left Dr Patel, who also had a blood clot disorder, with massive internal bleeding, which proved fatal.
Coroner Zak Golombek ruled that the consent procedure was not properly followed. “The consenting process was too proximate in time to the procedure starting. This did not allow Professor Patel to compute, digest, and discuss the evolving clinical picture and the procedure itself,” he added.
“In spite of his undoubted wealth of medical knowledge, he was primarily a husband and a father and was not given the opportunity to consider the procedure itself, and its effects on his clinical course.”
The Coroner noted that the “mutual love” between Patel and all those who knew him was palpable in court throughout the inquest proceedings.
“Whilst his educational and professional achievements will (rightly) be highlighted on his curriculum vitae, I am sure it is his achievements as a husband and father that shine brightest for those who love him,” the Coroner notes in his report.
“Professor Patel’s death was caused by failures in his care, and thus his death was avoidable,” it concluded.
The inquest had gathered evidence from the experts involved in his care and family members, which took place in April-May this year and concluded this week.
The Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said it has begun a detailed investigation.
“We are committed to providing the best care possible for our patients and we must apply the lessons learned from this to our constant work to improve our patient’s safety, quality of care, and experience,” said Jane Eddleston, joint group chief medical officer for the trust.
