Mr F had a hole in his heart and suffered from irregular heartbeats. He was referred to hospital, where he was seen by a doctor who failed to provide appropriate treatment before, sadly, Mr F died.
What happened
Mr F, who was 45 years old at the time, went to see his GP about his irregular heartbeats. The GP referred Mr F to a GP with a special interest in heart problems. This GP noted that his heart was not working properly and that it had a hole in it, and he referred Mr F to hospital.
Some eight weeks later, Mr F was seen by a doctor at the Trust. Mr F saw the doctor two more times before, sadly, he died four months after his first appointment at the hospital because of his heart condition.
What we found
The GP heart expert acted appropriately.
There was sufficient urgency in the hospital's investigations and treatment. However, the doctor at the hospital failed to: check Mr F's potassium level; give him appropriate medication for his heart condition; tell Mr F and his partner how serious his heart condition was; and discuss the matter with a senior colleague.
If the hospital had treated Mr F appropriately, it would have reduced his chances of dying.
Putting it right
The hospital apologised for the poor care and treatment it gave Mr F. It paid Mr F's partner £3,000 compensation and took action to make sure that it and the doctor who treated Mr F had learnt from the matter.
Central Manchester CCG
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Greater Manchester
Did not apologise properly or do enough to put things right
Apology
Compensation for non-financial loss
Recommendation to learn lessons or draw up an action plan