Hospital bosses have apologised to the heartbroken family of a mum-of-three killed by a negligent doctor. Shahida Parveen died after attending the Royal Oldham hospital for a 'routine' bone marrow biopsy.
Three years earlier, Dr Isyaka Mamman had left a 64-year-old man permanently disabled after carrying out the same procedure. Mrs Parveen, 48, died after Dr Mamman pressed on with a 'highly dangerous procedure' without her consent.
She had been referred to the doctor, aged 81 the time, for a biopsy to confirm a potential medical diagnosis.
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Her husband frantically 'begged' him to stop and his wife 'screamed' in pain during the procedure. After failing to gain a sample via the 'conventional' approach from the hip bone, Dr Mamman, now 85, instead tried via the sternum.
When he inserted the biopsy needle, he missed the sternum and caused a fatal puncture wound to the pericardium, which encloses the heart. Dr Mamman has now been jailed for three years after pleading guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence.
Dr Chris Brookes, Group Chief Doctor and Deputy Chief Executive for the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, formerly known as Pennine Acute which runs The Royal Oldham Hospital, apologised to Mrs Parveen's family. He also revealed the Trust have admitted liability in a civil claim brought by her family, and have 'implemented improvements' following an investigation.
Dr Brookes said: "We wish again to offer our sincerest condolences to Mrs Parveen’s family and friends and we are deeply sorry for their loss. We would like to reiterate our sincere apology previously provided to Mrs Parveen’s family.
"Our heartfelt sympathies go out to them. Following Mrs Parveen’s death in September 2018, the trust launched a thorough internal investigation to examine the circumstances leading up to and following this tragic incident.
"The trust implemented improvements following investigation which were shared with Mrs Parveen's family. The trust has admitted liability in relation to a civil claim brought by the family.
"The trust has liaised closely with Greater Manchester Police throughout their investigation and the subsequent legal proceedings concerning Dr Mamman."
According to the NHS trust, 'no restrictions' were in place on Dr Mamman's work at the time of Mrs Parveen's death, in September 2018. He had previously been the subject of investigation after two incidents relating to bone marrow biopsies he had carried out in 2015.
A female patient made a formal complaint after she was left in 'considerable pain' when Dr Mamman used 'excessive force' while carrying out the procedure. In the same year, Dr Mamman carried out another 'routine' bone marrow biopsy which led to a 64-year-old man suffering a cardiac arrest and being left permanently disabled as a result of the 'heavy handed' procedure.
The trust said concerns about Dr Mamman were 'investigated in line with the usual processes in place' and no restrictions were placed on his practice. It said that under normal circumstances Dr Mamman had the 'relevant experience and seniority' to carry out a bone marrow biopsy without supervision, but that he should never have performed a sternal bone marrow biopsy without speaking with a consultant.
Policies have now changed across the Northern Care Alliance and bone marrow biopsies should only be performed in the pelvis, unless a sternum biopsy is required and any procedure is carried out under the supervision of a consultant haematologist. Dr Mamman was still able to practice into his 80s after the law around compulsory retirement was changed, which had previously forced doctors to retire at 65.
Under the date of birth he provided to the Trust, he would have been 74 at the time of Mrs Parveen's death, but he was actually 81. He was suspended for 12 months in 2005 for misconduct by lying about his age.
Dr Mamman, of Cumberland Drive, Royton, was sacked but was taken on by Pennine Acute again after his ban finished, after being reinstated to the Medical Register. "It is very sad to see a long career in medicine end in such dreadful circumstances," a judge said before locking him up.
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