Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Coroner issues warning, saying few Covid patients may have died 'due to ventilator errors'

Coroner issues warning, saying few Covid patients may have died 'due to ventilator errors'

TWO Covid patients might have died due to staff errors while using ventilators, stated a media outlet citing a new coroner’s report.

Kishor Kumar Patel and Kofi Aning, 66, died at the Nightingale Hospital in the Excel Centre near Canary Wharf, east London, in April 2020. A new coroner’s report has claimed these deaths came as part of a "cluster" of similar incidents involving breathing system filters in the hospital's intensive care units, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday (14).


An inquest will reportedly examine these deaths, following claims that staff used the wrong ventilator filters though it has not yet been determined whether errors in operating the machines directly caused the death of the two patients.

Pointing out that this was “a serious incident” in which the wrong filter was found to have been used within the breathing systems of their intensive care ventilator, the east London Coroner Nadia Persaud has issued a warning about the risk of future deaths.

She added: "It is understood that these two cases came within a cluster of similar incidents."

The report, sent to the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, has raised concerns about the awareness level of intensive care clinicians and staff over different types of air filters.

"In my experience, few doctors and nurses working in ICU are knowledgeable about all these different filters and which ones should be used for any given breathing system,” Persaud said.

Pointing out that the “non-standardised colour coding used by manufacturers of these filters” along with different names for different types of filters often lead to an extremely confusing situation, the report added that an independent expert's recommendation that the classification and colour coding of the filters "is worthy of review, simplification, and standardisation".

"As there are still pressures within the ICU settings and in light of the imminent, planned reduction in Covid-19 safeguards, I consider that action should be taken to address this concern at the earliest possible stage,” the coroner said.

Barts Health Trust, which ran the Nightingale Hospital in London's Docklands, has reportedly  declined to comment on the matter.

More For You

Minouche Shafik

Shafik served as deputy governor for markets and banking at the Bank of England between August 2014 and February 2017.

Reuters

Starmer appoints Minouche Shafik as chief economic adviser in reshuffle

Highlights:

  • Minouche Shafik named chief economic adviser to Keir Starmer.
  • Darren Jones moves into Downing Street role; James Murray replaces him.
  • Wider reshuffle includes changes in Starmer’s private office and communications.
  • Appointment comes ahead of a budget expected to include further tax rises.

Prime minister Keir Starmer has named Minouche Shafik, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, as his chief economic adviser. The appointment comes as he looks to strengthen his team ahead of what is expected to be a difficult end to the year.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi putin

Before their formal meeting, Putin offered Modi a ride in his Aurus limousine.

X/@narendramodi

Six key takeaways from the SCO summit

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi met Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.

Modi pressed for ending the Ukraine conflict at the earliest, reaffirmed India’s long-standing ties with Russia, and discussed trade and border issues with Xi.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afghanistan earthquake

Afghan volunteers and Taliban security personnel carry an earthquake victim evacuated by a military helicopter from the Nurgal district of Kunar province onn September 1, 2025.

Getty Images

Afghanistan earthquake kills more than 800, thousands injured

A MAJOR rescue operation was underway in Afghanistan on Monday after a powerful earthquake and several aftershocks destroyed homes in a remote mountainous region, killing more than 800 people, according to Taliban authorities.

The quake struck just before midnight and was felt as far as Kabul and in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ganpati festival

The Ganpati festival celebrates Ganesha as the god of new beginnings, and the god of wisdom and intelligence. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Hindu community centre in London damaged in fire after Ganapati Visarjan event

A HINDU community centre in east London caught fire on Saturday evening, causing major damage to the building. The London Fire Brigade brought the fire under control and confirmed that no injuries were reported.

The incident took place at the Shree Sorathia Prajapati Community Centre on Cleveland Road in Ilford, which had been decorated for a Ganapati Visarjan event attended by members of the Hindu community.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi ,Xi & Putin

Narendra Modi talks with Vladimir Putin and Xi jinping ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin on September 1, 2025.

Getty Images

SCO declaration slams Pahalgam attack, calls for united action on terror

Highlights:

  • SCO condemns terror attack in Pahalgam and echoes India’s stance on “double standards”.
  • Leaders call for justice for perpetrators of attacks in Pahalgam and Balochistan.
  • Declaration criticises Israeli military strikes in Gaza causing civilian casualties.
  • SCO stresses UN’s central role in global counter-terrorism strategy.

THE SHANGHAI Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Monday condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam and agreed with India’s position that “double standards” in tackling terrorism are not acceptable.

Keep ReadingShow less