Indian-origin doctor Amit Patel died of botched treatment, UK probe concludes – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Professor Amit Patel, a highly regarded Indian-origin doctor passed away following a botched medical procedure a probe concludes. Patel a member of the haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) National Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) died in October 2021.

The UK coroner’s inquest, which spanned over two years, concluded that the 43-year-old Manchester-based National Health Service (NHS) Consultant Haematologist died due to a flawed recommendation by the national HLH MDT. The recommendation was based on an incomplete presentation of Patel’s clinical case, leading to an unnecessary EBUS (endobronchial ultrasound) procedure on September 2nd, 2021.

The coroner’s ruling released on Thursday stated, “Had the national HLH MDT had all relevant and readily available information presented to them, the EBUS procedure would not have gone ahead on 2nd September 2021, and the deceased would not have died on 28th October 2021. Moreover, the deceased was not given the opportunity to (and therefore did not) provide informed consent on 2nd September 2021 for his EBUS procedure. These two factors more than minimally contributed to the deceased’s death on the balance of probabilities.”

Throughout the inquest proceedings, the coroner noted the palpable love between Patel and all those who knew him. Patel, aware of the life-threatening nature of HLH, had warned his wife, general practitioner Shivani Tanna, that he feared he might die.

The coroner acknowledged Patel’s brilliance, stating, “Professor Patel was described as an amazing human being. Whilst his educational and professional achievements will (rightly) be highlighted on his Curriculum Vitae, I am sure it is his achievements as a husband and father that shine brightest for those who love him.”

The coroner also found that Patel, being an expert in the field himself, was not treated like an ordinary patient. “In spite of his undoubted wealth of medical knowledge, he was primarily a husband and a father, and was not given the opportunity to consider the procedure itself, and its effects on his clinical course,” the report noted. The coroner concluded that Patel’s death was caused by failures in his care and was avoidable.

The Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has undertaken a detailed investigation to examine the care Patel received while in hospital. Jane Eddleston, joint group chief medical officer for the trust, stated, “We are committed to providing the best care possible for our patients and we must apply the lessons learned from this to our constant work to improve our patients’ safety, quality of care, and experience.”