Graduate who died after refusing chemo ‘told court she was anti-vax'
In written statements submitted to the family division of the High Court in Spring 2024, Paloma said she declined chemotherapy partly because of her 'background in natural healing', the inquest heard on Monday.
The proceedings, which involved the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, were on the appropriateness of her care and Paloma said she was 'delighted' with her alternative treatment and 'sure' she would 'make a full recovery' if left to continue it, the inquest was told.
She also claimed her human rights had been violated by NHS practitioners in the statements, which were read by lawyer Alison Hewitt.
Ms Shemirani, who attended the inquest via video link, weeped and held pictures of Paloma to the camera as they were read.
It said: 'I am far from being a vulnerable young adult. Apart from becoming independent after I moved to Cambridge for university, I have practised the same principles that I grew up with.
'I have always been extremely health conscious: sticking to all-organic produce, I prepare all my own meals and I absolutely do not drink or cook with tap water.
'I have never taken drugs, despite pressure to, and I rarely drink alcohol.
Kent and Medway Coroner Service in Oakwood House (Gareth Fuller/PA)
'If I became ill, I've always turned to my mum first for advice as she is a trained nurse and qualified nutritionist.
'Practically fanatical about my health, my close friends know me as a staunch advocate for all proven natural healing'.
She also described her mother as 'an extremely forceful advocate for natural health' who is 'misquoted' by people claiming 'those natural solutions are conspiratorial'.
Ms Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021, with a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee finding that she had spread Covid-19 misinformation that 'put the public at a significant risk of harm', the inquest heard previously.
Another statement in Paloma's name added 'my friends know me as a staunch advocate of the Gerson therapy' and that she is 'anti-vax'.
She said she had been using Gerson therapy as one mode of treatment on the advice of her mother's ex-fiance, Doctor Patrick Villers, and that at 15 years old she spent three weeks in his camp in Mexico where it was practised.
Gerson therapy involves a strict organic vegetarian diet and enemas and has been used in cancer treatment, though Cancer Research UK says that there is no scientific evidence it can be used as a treatment for cancer.
Gabriel Shemirani, twin brother of Paloma (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Her GP was also monitoring her blood and progress, she said.
The former Cambridge student went on to deny having the disease and said 'I was not diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma… I have never had a shadow on my lung, this is absurd fantasy, no proof'.
She described the diagnosis as 'suspected and unconfirmed', and said a 'differential diagnosis' only meant cancer could not be ruled out.
Paloma understood that she had a one in five chance of surviving the commonplace R-CHOP treatment that was offered, and feared it would likely make her infertile, the inquest heard.
'I do not want to undergo such a harsh treatment that could even kill me when there is a possibility this is not cancer', she said.
The High Court statement alleged multiple violations of human rights in her care, the inquest heard, including Articles 3, 6 and 8 and possibly Articles 1, 5 and 12.
'I am so shocked, as are others assisting me, especially my mother, that this could take place today', the statement said.
'These were put in place forever to prevent what Dr Mengele did in the second world war. How could this happen today?', it continued.
Notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele performed experiments on his victims in Auschwitz.
The patient said symptoms she presented in hospital with – including a swollen face, excruciating chest pain being unable to move her arm – had subsided.
Coroner Catherine Wood reprimanded Ms Shemirani multiple times during proceedings.
Ms Shemirani cross-examined Dr Amit Goel, a consultant histopathologist at Maidstone Hospital who carried out a biopsy.
She repeatedly put to him that insufficient tissue was taken to carry out a FISH test that could rule out other diseases and alter Paloma's treatment plan.
The doctor denied that this would have influenced Paloma's care multiple times, and the coroner told Ms Shemirani the inquest is trying to look at 'how Paloma came about her death' but 'you are apparently trying to get information which is incorrect, factually incorrect, in the statements you are making'.
'I think your questions are just designed to take up time and delay matters by the way you're asking them repeatedly,' she added.
The mother accused participants of mis-pronouncing her name, which eventually led Ms Wood to say: 'I am going to rise, for Ms Shemirani to reflect on her behaviour in court, this is unacceptable.
'Let's have a pause for tempers to die down because you are clearly becoming over-fixated on a detail.'
At the opening of the hearing Ms Shemirani made an application for a lawyer to recuse herself.
The coroner rejected the application and said had seen the 'hundreds of emails that have been sent in' and that 'you have requested that everybody recuse themselves at various times', including the coroner herself.
The inquest continues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
One in five NHS doctors considering leaving UK profession, report warns
The Government's pledge to cut hospital waiting lists is at risk unless more is done to retain doctors in the NHS, the medical regulator has warned. Almost one in five (19%) of doctors are considering quitting being a doctor in the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) said. And one in eight (12%) are considering leaving the UK to work abroad, according to GMC figures. The main reason given for considering a move abroad was that doctors are 'treated better' in other countries, with an increase in pay cited as the second most common reason for plans to emigrate. Overall, some 43% of doctors told the GMC that they had researched career opportunities in other countries. Some 15% of doctors reported they had taken 'hard steps' towards leaving UK practice – such as applying for roles overseas or contacting recruiters. 'We must be alive to the ongoing risks to retention of doctors and the impact of losing talented staff,' the authors of the GMC's latest report wrote. 'This could threaten Government ambitions to reduce waiting times and deliver better care to patients.' Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged that, by July 2029, 92% of patients will be seen within 18 weeks for routine hospital treatment such as hip and knee replacements. The GMC's latest report also raised concerns about career progression for medics. The report highlighted that 8% of doctors who felt they could progress their career said they were likely to leave the UK medical profession and had taken hard steps towards doing so, compared with 27% of those who did not feel this way. Overall one in three doctors said they are unable to progress their education, training and careers in the way they want, according to the report, which is based on responses from 4,697 doctors around the UK. It found that those who did not feel as though their careers were progressing the way they would wish were at higher risk of burnout and were less satisfied with their work. The GMC said that workloads, competition for posts, and lack of senior support for development are adversely impacting career hopes for UK doctors. Charlie Massey, chief executive of the GMC, said: 'Like any profession, doctors who are disillusioned with their careers will start looking elsewhere. 'Doctors need to be satisfied, supported, and see a hopeful future for themselves, or we may risk losing their talent and expertise altogether. 'Achieving this requires modernising the current training system, so it meets the needs of doctors and patients.' It comes as Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association are locked in talks to avert further strike action by resident doctors after a five-day walkout in July. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, are in a dispute with the Government over pay and a lack of places for doctors in training. Commenting on the GMC report, Billy Palmer, senior fellow at the Nuffield Trust think tank, said: 'Pay and industrial action have been a lightning rod for dissatisfaction among doctors but this survey puts a spotlight on the wider difficulties facing the medical profession. 'Job guarantees, better rotas and placements, and protection of training time all need to be on the table. 'Addressing the burden of medical graduates' student debt by gradually writing off loans could also be a promising way to reward doctors' NHS service. With fewer than three in five doctors in 'core training' remaining in the NHS eight years later, unless warnings from this survey are dealt with, we'll continue to lose these skilled clinicians.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'The findings in this report are further evidence of what we know, that after more than a decade of neglect, doctors have legitimate complaints about their conditions, including issues with training bottlenecks and career progression. 'We want to work with them to address these and improve their working lives, which includes our plans set out in the 10 Year Health Plan to prioritise UK graduates and increase speciality training posts. 'This Government is committed to improving career opportunities and working conditions, bringing in ways to recognise and reward talent – as well as freeing up clinicians' time by cutting red tape.'
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
NHS facing exodus of doctors as 1 in 8 say they're looking to leave UK and go abroad
Labour's pledge to cut NHS waits is at risk as one in five doctors are considering quitting - with many looking to move abroad, the medical regulator has warned. A new workplace experience report by the General Medical Council reveals almost a fifth of doctors (19 per cent) are thinking of giving up their career in the UK. And one in eight (12 per cent) are pondering leaving the UK to work overseas, according to GMC figures. The main reason given for considering a move abroad was that doctors are 'treated better' in other countries, with an increase in pay cited as the second most common reason for plans to emigrate. Overall, some 43 per cent of doctors told the GMC that they had researched career opportunities in other countries. Some 15 per cent of doctors reported they had taken 'hard steps' towards leaving UK practice – such as applying for roles overseas or contacting recruiters. 'We must be alive to the ongoing risks to retention of doctors and the impact of losing talented staff,' the authors of the GMC's latest report wrote. 'This could threaten Government ambitions to reduce waiting times and deliver better care to patients.' Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged that, by July 2029, 92 per cent of patients will be seen within 18 weeks for routine hospital treatment such as hip and knee replacements. The GMC's latest report also raised concerns about career progression for medics. The report highlighted that 8 per cent of doctors who felt they could progress their career said they were likely to leave the UK medical profession and had taken hard steps towards doing so, compared with 27 per cent of those who did not feel this way. Overall one in three doctors said they are unable to progress their education, training and careers in the way they want, according to the report, which is based on responses from 4,697 doctors around the UK. It found that those who did not feel as though their careers were progressing the way they would wish were at higher risk of burnout and were less satisfied with their work. The GMC said that workloads, competition for posts, and lack of senior support for development are adversely impacting career hopes for UK doctors. Charlie Massey, chief executive of the GMC, said: 'Like any profession, doctors who are disillusioned with their careers will start looking elsewhere. 'Doctors need to be satisfied, supported, and see a hopeful future for themselves, or we may risk losing their talent and expertise altogether. 'Achieving this requires modernising the current training system, so it meets the needs of doctors and patients.' It comes as Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association are locked in talks to avert further strike action by resident doctors after a five-day walkout in July. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, are in a dispute with the Government over pay and a lack of places for doctors in training. Commenting on the GMC report, Billy Palmer, senior fellow at the Nuffield Trust think tank, said: 'Pay and industrial action have been a lightning rod for dissatisfaction among doctors but this survey puts a spotlight on the wider difficulties facing the medical profession. 'Job guarantees, better rotas and placements, and protection of training time all need to be on the table. 'Addressing the burden of medical graduates' student debt by gradually writing off loans could also be a promising way to reward doctors' NHS service. 'With fewer than three in five doctors in 'core training' remaining in the NHS eight years later, unless warnings from this survey are dealt with, we'll continue to lose these skilled clinicians.' Dr Tom Dolphin, council chair at the British Medical Association, said: 'This report shows the very real impact of what happens when a service does not value and support its staff: they will continue to choose to leave. 'We face a bizarre contradiction: we still have near record-high waiting lists and patients are desperate to be seen by doctors, but at the same time able and enthusiastic doctors are forced to consider moving abroad because they see no future in the UK.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'The findings in this report are further evidence of what we know, that after more than a decade of neglect, doctors have legitimate complaints about their conditions, including issues with training bottlenecks and career progression. 'We want to work with them to address these and improve their working lives, which includes our plans set out in the 10 Year Health Plan to prioritise UK graduates and increase speciality training posts. 'This Government is committed to improving career opportunities and working conditions, bringing in ways to recognise and reward talent – as well as freeing up clinicians' time by cutting red tape.'
Times
16 minutes ago
- Times
Fifth of NHS doctors are sick of working in the UK
One in five NHS doctors say they are considering quitting or moving abroad in pursuit of better pay and working conditions. The belief that doctors are 'treated better' overseas is the main factor driving them to countries such as Australia and Canada, according to a report by the General Medical Council (GMC). Its annual survey, of a representative sample of nearly 5,000 doctors, found that two thirds of those considering moving abroad also wanted higher pay. The report also found high levels of frustration with training. One in three doctors said they were struggling to progress in their careers because of a lack of NHS training posts. Overall, 19 per cent of doctors were considering leaving work in the UK. Forty-three per cent told the GMC that they had researched career opportunities abroad and 15 per cent said they had taken 'hard steps', such as applying for roles overseas or contacting recruiters. • BMA in new row as thousands of junior doctors cannot get NHS jobs Charlie Massey, chief executive of the GMC, said: 'Like any profession, doctors who are disillusioned with their careers will start looking elsewhere.' The report added: 'We must be alive to the ongoing risks to retention of doctors and the impact of losing talented staff. This could threaten government ambitions to reduce waiting times and deliver better care to patients.' Billy Palmer, a senior fellow at the Nuffield Trust think tank, said: 'Pay and industrial action have been a lightning rod for dissatisfaction among doctors but this survey puts a spotlight on the wider difficulties facing the medical profession. Job guarantees, better rotas and placements and protection of training time need to be on the table.' The GMC has said that the government's pledge to cut hospital waiting lists is at risk unless more is done to retain doctors. The Department of Health said: 'The findings in this report are further evidence of what we know — that after more than a decade of neglect, doctors have legitimate complaints about their conditions, including issues with training bottlenecks and career progression. 'This government is committed to improving career opportunities and working conditions, bringing in ways to recognise and reward talent — as well as freeing up clinicians' time by cutting red tape.' • 'Junior doctors are right to be unhappy with NHS' Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, held a five-day strike last month in pursuit of a 29 per cent pay rise. On Tuesday they met Wes Streeting, the health secretary, for talks described as 'constructive', at which the British Medical Association agreed no strikes would be called this month. Streeting said: 'Following a constructive meeting with BMA residents reps, we've agreed a window for negotiations without strikes in August to see if a resolution can be reached. 'Let's see if we can build a spirit of partnership to build an NHS that works for patients and staff alike.' Dr Ross Nieuwoudt and Dr Melissa Ryan, the BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs, said: 'We met with Mr Streeting to once again reiterate what is needed to bring this dispute to an end. We were very clear about the determination of resident doctors to return to a fair level of pay. 'Our conversation was informative and we feel that we have achieved a greater mutual understanding than in previous talks. We have agreed a window for negotiations, which we hope the government will use wisely.' However, they stressed that 'there has to be movement on pay' for the dispute to end.
