2 days ago
Birmingham hospital's lack of radiologists criticised after death
A lack of radiologists on duty was a key factor in the death of a man who went into hospital suffering chest pains, a coroner Villa fan Mark Villers died three days after he sought help while suffering from an unidentified tear in his aorta – the artery carrying blood from his heart – at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, on 21 May Louise Hunt said, in a prevention of future deaths report, his condition went undiagnosed as abnormalities that showed up on a CT scan were not recognised, but should have prompted tests that would have discovered the BBC has approached University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust for a response.
Since Mr Villers died, a fundraising page set up for his family has raised more than £33, Stephen Plant said Mr Villers had been a selfless, kind, caring and strong person who had been "striving to make a difference in this world".He said the loyal Villa fan had been a "passionate lover of life".
'Large number of CT scans'
The coroner's report described how Mr Villers went to the hospital on 18 May 2024 with a severe chest pain, initially assessed by medics as alcohol-induced gastritis, a digestive CT scan was reported as showing no abnormalities but a review later revealed it had shown problems that, if they had been spotted, further tests would have been carried out and his life could have been 20 May, Mr Villers returned to the hospital and it was thought he had infected gallstones. He stayed overnight and no concerns were noted but an inquest heard he was found collapsed the next morning and could not be resuscitated.A post-mortem examination confirmed the tear in the aorta caused Mr Villers' death.
Ms Hunt said the trust investigated and found there were "insufficient radiologists to report the large number of CT scans undertaken over the weekend period" at the time Mr Villers went to said it was "one of the root causes of the very subtle abnormality indicating aortic dissection being missed".Her report said the inquest heard, while the situation had improved at the hospital, the number of radiologists on duty was still not in accordance with Royal College of Radiology (RCR) BBC has contacted the RCR for a comment on what the required staffing levels are.
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