Top Christie doc died after 'failures in care'

CANCER HOSPITAL EXPERT DID NOT GIVE 'INFORMED CONSENT'

- HELENA VESTY

ONE of the country's best doctors died following a procedure 'that should never have been recommended' and that he 'was not given the opportunity to, and therefore did not, provide informed consent' to.

Professor Amit Patel was 'one of the UK's most knowledgeable doctors' at the world-renowned Christie cancer hospital, and the first person in the country to be qualified in stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy, and intensive care medicine. He was also a beloved husband and father-oftwo who was loved by all who knew him, say his family.

But Professor Patel was admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital in August 2021 after becoming gravely ill - with a rare and life-threatening illness which he happened to be one of the country's leading experts in. Yet those who were scrambling to treat the professor admitted that they 'had never heard of' the condition and would 'read about it, according to evidence heard in court.

Yesterday, a coroner found 'failures' to his care that led to his tragic death.

Prof Patel recognised he was suffering a potentially deadly immune reaction called HLH. During his career, he had formed 'national guidance' on HLH and sat on the national multi-disciplinary panel to which the most serious cases were referred.