Our Wankers this Week are on the staff of Milton Keynes General Hospital.
A young woman texted photos of herself slowly dying from Meningococcal Septicaemia while she lay suffering on a hospital bed, ignored by doctors. Jo Dowling, 25, sent her mother and best friend 40 messages, including pictures of a deadly growing rash on her skin.
Ms Dowling was taken to hospital in Milton Keynes, England, with suspected meningitis after developing a purple skin rash and low blood pressure last November. However, doctors there rejected her GP’s diagnosis and told her she had a mild infection caused by her Cystic Fibrosis.
They stopped the course of penicillin her GP had prescribed and instead gave her headache tablets and fluids and left her on the observation ward. As the hours passed terrified Ms Dowling took photos of her worsening rash on her mobile phone. Fluid filled her lungs and she died four hours after her last text message, and 14 hours after being admitted to hospital.
Her family accused the hospital of neglect after an inquest at Milton Keynes Coroners’ Court was told that doctors failed to spot she was suffering “blood poisoning shock”. Deputy Coroner Tom Osborne criticised the hospital for a “communication breakdown” that led to her death. A simple dose of penicillin and antibiotics could have saved Ms Dowling’s life.
Ms Dowling’s mother, Sue Christie, said: “Our doctor knew it was meningitis but when we got to hospital all the care seemed to stop. They didn’t seem to know what they were meant to do or what meningococcal septicaemia was. The hospital was saying it was just an infection. She had a lot of infections with Cystic Fibrosis but never a rash like this.
“I saw her picture messages and the rash was really bad. You couldn’t miss them but the nurses did. I thought she was in hospital and with the best people. She wasn’t given a chance and was left to die without being given any treatment.”
Mr Osborne ruled that Ms Dowling had died from a combination of Meningococcal Septicaemia and Cystic Fibrosis. “As a result of a breakdown in communication the antibiotics were not continued and resulted in lost opportunities to render further medical treatment.”
A spokesman for Milton Keynes Hospital said: “Following Joanne’s unexpected death, the Trust conducted a comprehensive internal investigation to review her care and treatment. The findings of the investigation were presented in detail at the inquest today and the recommendations are already being implemented. The trust fully accepts the verdict of the inquest.”
Oh, jolly good. They fully accept the verdict. That's all right then.
The only thing is, acknowledging a fault doesn't actually make it any better. It's a bit like saying “Yes, I know I'm a greedy sod and enormously fat, but I just can't help myself. Pass me another Mars Bar.” What we'd prefer to hear from the Hospital is whether those responsible are still working, or whether someone's taken them round the back and quietly broken their legs.
According to Eye on Britain, the three doctors who failed to treat Jo Dowling were Christian Akubuine, Bakhtawar Shah Khattak and Vivake Roddah. We wouldn't dream of suggesting that these were three poorly-qualified foreign doctors propping up the NHS, because ... well, we don't know anything about them. Besides, it would probably be racist. You can't criticise anyone with a funny name.
But that doesn't stop us awarding them the prestigious title of Grumpy Old Sod's Wankers of the Week. I'm sure Jo Dowling would be delighted for them.
If she wasn't dead.
either on this site or on the World Wide Web.
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