Catalogue of medical errors proves fatal for headache sufferer

A hospital's slipshod attention to patients notes and administrative errors proved fatal for one man.

Martin had been suffering from headaches of increasing severity and was visited at home by his GP and a locum GP on 4 occasions. His symptoms became worse and he developed nausea and was admitted to hospital a month later. He was assessed and it was decided that he needed a CT Angiogram. However, the request form did not include his history of headaches and therefore the radiologist decided not to perform the scan. A few days later he underwent an inconclusive lumbar puncture. No diagnosis was made. His nausea was treated and he was released from hospital.

A further five days passed before the hospital realised the mistake with the scan and attempted to book in Martin as an out-patient.

However, due to some administrative error the request for an appointment was overlooked. Less than a month had gone by when his condition deteriorated and he was re-admitted to hospital where it was discovered that he had a subarachnoid haemorrhage. He underwent an operation and was nursed in the Intensive Care Unit but died 3 days later.

His widow turned to the clinical negligence team to find answers to why these numerous errors were allowed to happen.

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