Patient dies at home after doctors miss evidence of heart defect, including 2 chest x-rays
An inquest into the death of a 24-year-old scaffolder has found that the patient was “failed” by his healthcare providers.
The patient, Dean Gillespie, was treated for stab wounds in 2012 at Stepping Hill Hospital in England, according to a detailed report from Manchester Evening News. In 2014, Gillespie died suddenly after collapsing to the ground—and it appears that better care could have prevented his death altogether.
When Gillespie was treated in 2012, his blood pressure was found to be “pathologically” high, and two chest x-rays revealed that he had an enlarged heart. During the inquest, the surgeon responsible for Gillespie shared that he never saw the imaging findings; if he had, he said he would have referred the patient to a cardiologist for more tests.
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust apologized to the family, and a financial settlement was reached.
Click below for more information about the incident from Manchester Evening News:
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.