PHSO investigation - Man died after doctors missed opportunities to identify abnormalities on his X-ray (20 July 2022)

Summary

This article outlines the results of a recent investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) which found that a 65-year-old man died after doctors failed to notice serious abnormalities on his X-ray.

The patient, known as Mr B, was admitted to University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust in May 2019 after being unwell for several days with abdominal pain and vomiting. An X-ray of his abdomen was taken, which two doctors said did not show any apparent abnormalities. The following day Mr B's condition deteriorated and he suffered a heart attack and died. The PHSO investigation found that the Trust failed to notice a blockage in his intestine on the X-ray. Because of this failure, Mr B did not receive treatment that could have saved his life.