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BBC News
15-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Care failures led to woman's hospital death, inquest finds
A grandmother died after complications from a routine procedure were made worse by failures in her medical care, an inquest has Stewart, 58, died at Leicester Royal Infirmary on 29 February 2024, after more than two years of serious health issues that followed a gynaecological inquest at Leicester Coroner's Court concluded her death was caused by recognised complications from the procedure, worsened by poor management of her blood-thinning coroner Dianne Hocking said there were failures to correctly stop, restart and monitor the medication, which contributed to Ms Stewart's death. She returned a narrative conclusion at the final day of the hearing on 10 Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), which runs the hospital, said it had "learned from this case" and since "made significant improvements" to its processes. Ms Stewart first went to her GP in September 2021, complaining of prolonged and irregular menstrual had a hysteroscopy later that year when tests suggested possible abnormalities in her uterus, said Lime Solicitors, which has been supporting the weeks after the procedure, she was admitted to hospital with symptoms of severe the following months, she developed further serious complications, including bowel ischaemia - a condition where blood flow to the intestines is led to emergency surgery when part of her colon was removed and a stoma was family said this had a major impact on her quality of life, causing ongoing pain, repeated infections, and difficulties with mobility and independence, said Lime February 2024, she was scheduled for reconstructive surgery to improve her condition but it was subsequently cancelled three days before it was due to happen. 'Heartbreaking' Concerns were raised during the inquest about how her blood-thinning medications were managed during this coroner said there was a failure to consult haematology specialists, despite the complexity of her a result, Ms Stewart developed clotting in the arteries supplying her legs and surgeons were forced to amputate her right leg above the knee, but her condition rapidly worsened and she died shortly Stewart's daughter, Amy Jarvis, said the family had been left devastated."It is heartbreaking to think how much my mum suffered for more than two-and-a-half years following what should have been a routine procedure," she said."She was a strong, intelligent woman who placed her trust in the professionals caring for her. Instead, she was let down repeatedly and we had to watch her health unravel bit by bit." 'Improve patient safety' According to Lime Solicitors, the coroner also raised concerns about the use of two separate electronic systems at the hospital, which risked important medical information being lost or overlooked.A letter of concern will be sent to the hospital trust encouraging improvements to be made, the law firm Furlong, medical director at the UHL, said: "On behalf of the trust, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the family of Bridget Stewart. "We acknowledge the coroner's findings and would like to assure Bridget's family that we have learned from this case and made significant improvements to our processes, including providing extensive training on anticoagulation management to all colleagues on our wards."Medical negligence solicitor Maryam Abdullah, who supported the family ahead of the inquest, said the case highlighted "missed steps" in Ms Stewart's said: "The delays and inconsistent application of critical medication protocols contributed directly to her deteriorating health and, ultimately, her death."We are working closely with Ms Stewart's family to pursue a civil claim. We hope the coroner's findings will serve as a catalyst for healthcare providers to rigorously review and improve their protocols to prevent similar failings in the future and improve patient safety."
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Text messages used in lung cancer pilot
A pilot to detect lung cancer early in Leicestershire has led to 247 chest X-rays. In the trial, patients in Coalville were sent text messages with a list of symptoms. They can then request an X-ray to check whether they potentially have lung cancer without needing to see a GP first. The pilot has diagnosed two confirmed cases of lung cancer, one of which was caught at an early stage. Peter Moult had a cough when he received a text message from his practice. The 66-year-old joined the pilot scheme, which led to an X-ray and a CT scan. He was told he had peribronchial thickening, which was now being treated with an inhaler. "The scheme is fantastic. It's something that everybody should take up," said Peter. "If nothing else, get the assurance that you've got the all-clear." The pilot is being run in Coalville and surrounding areas to support people in more rural and deprived communities with high numbers of smokers. The local Integrated Care Board worked with the University Hospitals of Leicester and the East Midlands Cancer Alliance to organise it. The scheme is open to people aged 40 or over who are registered with a GP practice in Coalville. They must not have had a chest X-ray or CT scan in the last three months. So far, 263 patients have contacted the booking line and five people have had follow-up CT scans. One of the two patients diagnosed with lung cancer was Michael Specht. "I'd had a cough for over seven weeks and it was constant," said the 75-year-old from Coalville. "If it wasn't for the text message and this service, I wouldn't have sought help and who knows where I'd be." Mr Specht was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and has started his treatment. "We wanted to bring in a scheme where patients can have an investigation without seeing a GP in a bid to try and increase these important diagnoses," said Dr Ben Noble who is cancer lead for the East Midlands Cancer Alliance. "If you do get one of these texts and you do have the qualifying symptoms, please call that number because lung cancer is so much more survivable if we can diagnose it early." The local NHS says it will review the pilot after its initial term. Dr Noble says he would like to expand the service to other areas in the East Midlands. Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board
