Routine gallstones operation failure

An inquest is due to open at 1.30pm on Thursday 18th June, into the death of a 56 year-old Birmingham woman, who died from multiple organ failure following a routine gallstones operation."

Mrs Barbara Dockery, from New Oscott, Sutton Coldfield, was initially admitted, as a private patient, to Spire Hospital Little Aston, on 18th June 2008, under the care of Dr Mohammed Ahmed. "

Mrs Dockery was then informed that as the ERCP keyhole procedure to investigate the presence of gallstones was not undertaken at Little Aston Hospital, she would be transferred to neighbouring NHS-run Good Hope Hospital for surgery by Dr Ahmed. Following the procedure, the plan was for Mrs Dockery to be transferred back to Little Aston Hospital to rest for the night, before being discharged home the following morning."

Mrs Dockery was transferred back to Little Aston at around 5pm that day, despite the fact that she was very unwell following the procedure and had vomited on a number of occasions. Dr Ahmed briefly visited Mrs Dockery at around 7pm to administer painkillers."

The following day her condition deteriorated further. She was not reviewed again by Dr Ahmed until around 1pm that day, despite repeated requests from her husband."

Post-operative pancreatitis was diagnosed and on the evening of Friday 20th June she was transferred back to Good Hope Hospital."

The following day, Mrs Dockery's family were informed that she was going into multi-organ failure and on Sunday 22nd June she was transferred to the intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator. "

Over the course of the next 17 days, clinical staff worked to stabilise Mrs Dockery's condition but on 9th July, her family were told that nothing more could be done and she was removed from the ventilator. "

Barbara Dockery died the following day on Thursday 10th July 2008."

The 56 year old Personal Training Manager, who had worked for logistics firm Kuehne and Nagel in Minworth, leaves behind a 26 year old daughter and Terence, her husband aged 52."

Mandy Luckman, a medical negligence expert with the Birmingham office of Irwin Mitchell solicitors, said: "Barbara's family are understandably very distressed by the circumstances of her death. She was a previously fit and healthy woman who was undergoing a routine procedure to have gallstones removed and they had every reason to expect she would make a normal recovery and return home the following day. "

"Following surgery and her transfer back to Little Aston Hospital, husband Terence, became concerned that she appeared so seriously unwell. As the hours passed, he desperately sought medical treatment and a second opinion but due to the fact that the surgeon was not present in the private hospital because of his NHS commitments, a considerable period of time elapsed before a management plan was instigated."

"There are serious concerns regarding the quality of care provided and the amount of time that elapsed before she was re-admitted to Good Hope Hospital for the urgent treatment she required."

"We very much hope the inquest will be able to uncover exactly what happened and how a routine gallstone operation led to Mrs Dockery's untimely death."