Two mums tragically lost their lives due to a bacterial infection after receiving double lung transplants at the same hospital, an inquest will hear on Thursday. Karen Starling, mum of six, and Anne Martinez, mum of two, fell ill with a bacterial infection after double lung transplants in the summer of 2019.
Karen, 54, was being treated for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in May 2019 with the potentially life-saving operation. Sadly the treatment became fatal after she fell ill with pancreatitis following a Mycobacterium Abscessus (M abscessus) infection.
It was later found that 20 other lung condition patients contracted the same infection that summer at Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambs. Karen, from Ipswich, Suffolk, finally lost her battle with the illness in February 2020.
Anne, 65 from Borehamwood, Herts, was being treated for lung disease with the transplant in July 2019. Following her diagnosis of the bacterial infection, her condition deteriorated until her death in December 2020.
The families of several patients, including Karen's and Anne's, will now attend an inquest starting today to try to find answers to what happened. In a joint statement, Anne's sons Anthony, 40, and Andrew, 35, said: "We thought mum's operation would be a new chapter in her life.
"It's still difficult to accept she is no longer here. Having so many questions still has made trying to grieve mum all the harder. While time has moved on, it feels like it's stood still for our family."
A report from the hospital following the incident blames a contaminated water supply as the "most credible source" of the bacteria. The same report states there was no evidence of problems with the facilities management or clinical care of the patients.
However, Jatinder Paul, a specialist public health lawyer at Irwin Mitchell legal firm representing the families, said: "M.abscessus is an incredibly dangerous bacterial infection for lung transplant patients, who are particularly vulnerable, the consequences of which should never be downplayed.
"It can lead to long-term health problems, and in the worst cases can be fatal. If, during the course of the inquest, any issues are identified in how Karen and Anne contracted M. abscessus, it’s vital that lessons are learned to prevent other people from contracting such infections in the future.”
Karen's husband, Derek Starling, said: "Karen was all about family. It was her main focus and what she lived for.
"When we were told that she would be able to undergo a transplant, we were overjoyed and hoped it would give her many years with us. We’ll always be thankful for the skill and expertise the transplant surgeons and their team showed, and the care and compassion other medical staff showed Karen as she fought for her life.
"However, we still have so many concerns about how Karen contracted her infection and if more could have been done to prevent her illness."
A spokesperson for Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: "We express our deepest sympathies to the families involved and we continue to fully support the Coroner's enquiries. Until the Coroner's findings have been heard and the inquest completed, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."
The inquest will take place at Peterborough Town Hall in Cambridgeshire.
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