London
The coroner’s office is launching an investigation into the case of a 30-year-old Indian-origin man who died in a top UK hospital last month, with his father asserting that his son could have been saved if the family had been given the right to a second medical opinion.
Jay Patel, 58, claimed that when his son Balram fell ill, he received inappropriate treatment and was denied the right to a second opinion from senior medics, which is known as ‘Martha’s rule’ in the UK. This rule gives patients and their families the legal right to a second opinion from senior medics in the same hospital if they feel their concerns are being overlooked and if the patient’s condition is deteriorating rapidly.
Jay blamed the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) for his son’s suffering and stated that Balram, who had multiple disabilities and was developmentally delayed, passed away in pain, suffering in a very inappropriate manner, before his time.
He mentioned that Balram was initially treated with oral diuretics at the hospital, which did not work, so medics switched to intravenous (IV) diuretics. However, due to a Covid outbreak, district nurses could not be found to administer the IV diuretics at home.
A spokesperson for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust expressed condolences to Balram’s family and stated that his complex health needs were cared for by an extensive multidisciplinary team. The trust promised a full investigation into any concerns raised by the family.
