Latest news with #WinifredWorrall
BBC News
18 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Queries over second medic in Ian Paterson patient case
The death of a patient of disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson was contributed to by "substandard" care provided by another doctor who treated her prior to Paterson, an expert has told an Worrall, from Shirley in Solihull, had grade three cancer in her left breast when she died on 30 July 2001 aged a report on Ms Worrall's death submitted to the inquest, Dr Richard Linforth, a consultant breast surgeon, said a delayed diagnosis of two years, despite a "red flag", was a contributory alleged this was due to her doctor in 1998, Dr John Taylor, not giving her an ultrasound after her mammogram came back clear. The inquest heard that Dr Taylor is now deceased. Surgeon Paterson was jailed for 15 years, later extended to 20 years, in 2017, after being convicted of wounding patients by way of botched and unnecessary operations. The former employee of Heart of England NHS Trust, who also worked at Spire Little Aston, is eligible for release in Worrall was one of 63 breast cancer patients treated by Paterson, and whose deaths are now being Dr Linforth claimed that Paterson's surgical treatment did not "materially impact" Ms Worrall's survival, he did say Paterson's treatment was "inadequate" and "poor", suggesting "a surgical incompetence in managing breast cancer".Dr Linforth alleged this was due to Paterson's failure to clear the margins of Ms Worrall's cancer and his inability to remove any of her lymph nodes during her also said a more probing history of her symptoms would have led to her having a CT scan to stage her cancer, meaning she could have avoided the mastectomy and "its discomfort". Dr Linforth maintained she could have had palliative endocrine therapy and radiotherapy instead. 'Failure of care' Ms Worrall had presented to Dr Taylor in 1998 at the age of 83, with an inverted nipple and nipple discharge, the proceedings Linforth told the inquest on Thursday: "I do believe for anyone with a nipple discharge and inversion, an ultrasound is mandated. Failure to request an ultrasound was a failure of care."If I got a letter about a woman of that age with nipple inversion, it's a red flag. To me, this is a cancer unless proven otherwise."Speaking at the inquest on Wednesday, Paterson also said that given her age and "new worrying symptom", he claimed he would have performed an ultrasound at the time if she had been his patient in 1998. The inquest heard that a cancerous mass in a dense breast might not be picked up on a mammogram, meaning Ms Worrall's mammogram may have missed the tumour she was later diagnosed with in months after her diagnosis of breast cancer, Ms Worrall was diagnosed with metastatic bone Linforth said he believed that diagnosis and treatment in 1998 would have prevented the cancer from metastasising to her bones. Disputed cause of death Ms Worrall's recorded cause of death in 2001 was carcinomatosis and breast at the inquest on Wednesday, Paterson said he was "very concerned" that the wrong cause of death for Ms Worrall had been given on her death certificate, as two letters addressed to her GP by consultants in the weeks before she died made no reference to her being terminally expressed his belief that Ms Worrall's "long history of heart disease" was a factor and said he was concerned it was not on her death certificate. However, Ms Worrall's granddaughter emailed the coroner on Wednesday night, expressing her upset over Paterson's claims over the cause of an email read out by the coroner, she said her father distinctly remembered Ms Worrall crying out when she was told her condition was terminal."I remember speaking to my nan and her being deeply upset about her prognosis and that she wouldn't survive," she said. Dr Simon Russell, a clinical oncologist acting as an expert to the inquest on Thursday, said he was also sceptical of the death certificate."The majority of ladies with bone-only metastatic breast cancer will live for some years," he said."I think Winnie died of the breast cancer spreading to the back and causing significant pain, immobility, and psychological distress – on top of pre-existing cardiac disease."Pain, immobility and shock were too much for her underlying issues to take."The proceedings continue. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Ian Paterson: 'Patient's cause of death may be wrongly recorded'
A patient of jailed surgeon Ian Paterson who died might have had the wrong cause of death recorded, an inquest has Worrall, from Shirley in Solihull, had grade three cancer in her left breast when she died on 30 July 2001 aged 85, with her recorded cause of death as carcinomatosis and breast disgraced medic Paterson, who had performed a mastectomy on her, told Ms Worrall's inquest "she had a long history of cardiac disease", but it was not recorded on her death certificate."She definitely had carcinomatosis, but I'm concerned that's not the cause of death," Paterson told the hearing, sitting in Birmingham. Paterson was jailed for 15 years, later extended to 20 years, in 2017, after being convicted of wounding patients with botched and unnecessary operations, but will be eligible for release in Worrall was one of 63 women who were treated for breast cancer by him and whose deaths are now being investigated. 'History of cardiac disease' Carcinomatosis is a condition in which multiple carcinomas develop simultaneously, usually after spreading from a primary said he did not believe Ms Worrall had died of carcinomatosis and breast carcinoma, as two letters addressed to her GP by consultants in the weeks before she died made no reference to her being terminally ill."She had a long history of cardiac disease and it was not on her death certificate," he said."It could have been a cardiac event and breast cancer should have been down as entry two [for cause of death]." Paterson made a similar claim during the inquest of Elaine Morris, whose cause of death he also believed was incorrectly recorded. Ms Morris had also had a recorded cause of death as carcinomatosis and breast told Ms Morris's inquest he was concerned she had died after an opiate overdose she received during hospice two oncologists acting as experts to the inquests disagreed with Paterson's claim as she had only been given "entry level doses" of two opioids for pain led Judge Richard Foster, the coroner for the Paterson inquests, to reject Paterson's theory she had died as a result of the overdose. 'Worrying new symptom' While other inquests are determining whether Paterson's treatment of them led to their unnatural deaths Briony Ballard, counsel to this hearing, said it was not linking Ms Worrall's death to Paterson's treatment, but was instead looking at criticisms of the care he gave of the concerns was that Ms Worrall should have undergone a diagnostic ultrasound as well as the mammogram that was performed on agreed the 85-year-old should have had an ultrasound, given her age and the "worrying new symptom" she was presenting with - nipple inversion and discharge."I don't think her assessment was complete enough in 1998 to assert there was no problem," he said an ultrasound should have been carried out by the consultant radiologist, Dr Kaushik inquests continue. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
