Doctor’s Failings – Killed By Meningitis
Andrew Broadhurst, pictured in hospital before his death, was found to have bumps on his brain after suffering from headaches
GPs Failed 4 Times To Diagnose Middle-Ear Infection
39-year-old father from Birmingham, Mr. Andrew Broadhurst, has unfortunately died of meningitis which developed from a middle ear infection (otitis media) which NHS GPs failed to diagnose.
Mr. Broadhurst began experiencing blocked ears, headaches and problems with sight and so visited his local GP on December 2nd 2016. The NHS GP examined him and found wax, and as a result, was given a supply of olive oil drops to treat the wax. Nine days later, Mr Broadhurst phoned the NHS 111 helpline.
Severe headaches and visual problems forced him back into the surgery by January 18th, on 25th and again on March 7th. By the 16th March 2017, Mr. Broadhurst had collapsed in the bath and was rushed to hospital. His condition was rapidly deteriorating. Mr. Broadhurst’s mother, Mrs Partridge, recalled her horror at finding her son vomiting the day before his death.
“’I phoned 111 and they wanted to speak to Andrew and he said it was driving him mad, he was rocking with the pain, holding his ear.”
GP Claims “She knew there was something not right”
The GP who saw Mr. Broadhurst was Doctor Sylvia Chudley, who told the inquest how shocked she was by his death. “My working diagnosis was migraine, so we discussed that and I suggested, and he agreed, with onward referral to neurology” she said. “When I was writing the referral letter, I made the decision to get blood tests done”
“I knew there was something not right, and also could see his headaches had been assessed by Dr. Corrigan four weeks previously” she said. “He needed this to be sorted.”
“I am really sorry we couldn’t come up with anything else we could have done differently. We took it extremely seriously and we are very shocked at what happened to him.”
A Few Words From Our Audiologist:
“The case of Mr. Broadhurst is a rare one, and so we would stress that people don’t panic if they experience blocked ears. The health of our ears should not be neglected, however, and so we would always encourage all of our clients who have concerns regarding pain or sudden deafness, to visit us for an emergency, same-day appointment in order for us to check that everything is ok. If this is not possible, we would direct our clients to seek immediate assistance at A&E or with their healthcare provider. In cases of sudden hearing loss, treatment within the first 48 hours is key.” – Mr. Daniel Bainbridge, Hearing Healthcare Centre.
See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5013383/Father-39-died-medics-failed-stop-ear-infection.html for the full story.
