Father-of-Three Left Unable To Clothe, Feed Himself Or Leave The House Asks Medical Negligence Lawyers To Investigate

A former company director has called for lessons to be learned after two brain operations at a Birmingham hospital left him with severe side effects and often unable to clothe or feed himself.

Chris Tyler, 61, from Feckenham, Redditch, underwent a deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedure at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in February 2017 to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

DBS involves making small holes in the skull to implant electrodes into the brain and is used to treat movement disorders associated with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions.

As Chris’ condition deteriorated, a second DBS procedure was performed in May 2019. It came after a review of MRI scans revealed the placement of electrodes during the first was “suboptimal,” an internal NHS serious incident report into Chris’ treatment said.

As his symptoms worsened, Chris, a former CEO of an optical supplies company, was referred to another hospital, which found the placement of the electrodes in this second DBS also to be suboptimal, the report added.

Medical negligence lawyers asked to investigate Redditch man’s care

Following the procedures, Chris instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate his care.

The serious incident report published in June 2020 by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), which runs Queen Elizabeth, found several issues in the DBS Service, which had been suspended four times in four years due to manpower and governance issues.

The report stated the DBS Service has remained suspended since October 2019 and was still suspended at the date of the report being published in June 2020. The investigation recommended the service should not restart without a full independent external review and approval at executive director level.

In a separate legal case, UHB admitted liability for failings in the second procedure. The parties are working towards a settlement.

Chris has now joined with his legal team in calling for lessons to be learned and to highlight the impact the severe side effects the failed DBS procedures had on his and his family’s life. He was often unable to feed and clothe himself or leave the house.

Lawyer calls for lessons to be learned

Expert Opinion

“The last few years have proved incredibly traumatic for Chris and his family. Parkinson’s disease left him facing many challenges and the initial treatment that was supposed to ease his symptoms left him with severe side effects that massively impacted his quality of life.

“While further DBS treatment at an alternative hospital has seen Chris make great strides in his recovery and regain much of his independence, it still came too late for him to pick back up the career he loved.

“While we welcome the admissions made by the Hospital Trust, Chris' case is a stark reminder of the terrible consequences patients can be left to face because of care failings. It’s now vital that the Hospital Trust learns lessons to improve patient safety.

“In the meantime we continue to support Chris to help him move forward with his life the best he can.” Catherine Buchanan

Medical negligence: Chris Tyler’s story

Chris was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in March 2013. At the time he was the CEO of Birmingham Optical Group and also a former director of the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians.

At the time of Chris’ diagnosis, the option of DBS was discussed with doctors and with a window in his working life following the sale of his own company, he went ahead. The first procedure took place on 28 February, 2017.

His condition deteriorated and he began to suffer side effects, including impaired mobility, falls and speech issues. His tremor was worse and he struggled to leave home due to embarrassment over his symptoms. Disheartened about the outcome, a 2018 MRI scan revealed the placement of the electrodes were suboptimal.

Failure of second DBS leaves Chris to rely on his wife and often unable to feed himself or get dressed

Chris agreed to a second DBS, which took place on 8 May, 2019. The failure of the second DBS surgical procedure saw Chris began to rely increasingly on his wife, Tracey, 55, for help with day-to day living.

Chris was often unable to feed himself or get dressed. Struggling with walking and speech, left Chris reluctant to leave home and unable to return to work in the ophthalmic industry.

Chris requested a second opinion and was referred to another hospital in December 2019. Doctors said the placement of the second DBS electrodes were also suboptimal and advised Chris that the procedure would have to be done again from scratch. Chris had to undergo further surgical procedures and has been left with additional scarring to his skull.

This third DBS was carried out on 10 March, 2022. Chris can now feed himself, his tremor is mild and he has now been able to undertake some limited leisure activities, including visiting the golf driving range and now being able to walk Poppy, the family dog. He has regained much of his independence and feels far more positive about the future.

Findings of Serious Incident Report into Chris’ care

Chris was informed in February 2020 of an investigation into the DBS programme at the hospital.  The Serious Incident Report into Chris’ care found that the placement of the electrodes in both DBS procedures was found to be suboptimal; the consent process for the second DBS was incomplete and equipment issues were identified and not reported.

It was also found that the DBS service was not responsive enough to Chris when his surgery was unsuccessful.

The report said the Trust’s DBS service had “a poor culture of safety and quality”. The “complex care of patients needing DBS appears to be disjointed” and the issues raised had “the potential to significantly impact on patient safety and patient outcomes unless they are addressed.” The misplacement of electrodes was also reported to be a “recurrent issue” within the entire DBS service over the years, the report added.

The hospital subsequently wrote to Chris, to apologise for the care and treatment he received.

Chris calls for lessons to be learned from his care

Chris said: “Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s was a huge shock. One of the things I have struggled with is being unable to work. I was at the top in my industry but it’s not something you can be away from for an extended time.

“I picked the time for the initial DBS when I thought I had the best window to recover and then to resume my life and get back to work. I couldn’t believe it when the first procedure seemed to make things worse and I wouldn’t have been able to get by without the support of Tracey, my son Adam, daughter Jade and the family.

“The doctors were confident they could put things right, but the second DBS, which made matters worse. I was very low at that point. It felt like history was repeating itself and I lived like a hermit, reluctant to leave the house and reliant on others for help day-to-day.

“I had to seek a second opinion and I’m so glad I did. I couldn’t believe it when the doctors said the electrodes had been put in the wrong place again. I’m just thankful this third DBS has proved a success and delivered the sort of results initially expected.

“It’s not perfect, but the transformation from where I was is night and day. I’m angry that five years of my life have been lost as a result of the initial failings. You get to thinking about what might have been and how I could have picked up my career. For now, I try to focus on the positives, look to the future and reflect that I have got some of my life back.

“It’s worrying to think these failings in the DBS service go back years and the incident report made for distressing reading. I can only hope now that lessons are learned from what happened to me and that other patients see better outcomes as a result.”

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