Brain tumour victim had no scan for year

A young father who died from a brain tumour was not given a scan for more than a year after it was diagnosed, an inquest heard.

Hospital bosses have now apologised for mistakes made. Simon Turton, of West Bromwich, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in September 2009 and told by doctors at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth (QE) Hospital he would need MRI scans every four to five months to check if it had changed, the inquest at Smethwick Council House heard yesterday.

An appointment was made for the 36-year-old's scan on November 2, just six weeks after diagnosis.

Dr Paul Brettle, imaging manager at the QE, told the hearing that Mr Turton called his department to say the appointment should be in five months time, not in five weeks.

The request was re-made and a copy of the request form was scanned into a computer. The actual form should have been filed for a future appointment to be made, the inquest heard.

Dr Brettle told the court: "We mislaid the form, we don't know what happened to the paper request."

The court heard that for more than 12 months Mr Turton regularly saw staff about his medication, but no-one checked whether he should have had a scan.

Mr Turton's brother David of Stone, Staffordshire, told the inquest that because he was making regular visits to the doctor, everyone thought his treatment was "in hand".

At the end of March his symptoms became suddenly worse and he was taken to hospital where he underwent a scan and a biopsy.

Doctors discovered the tumour had become more aggressive and was putting increasing pressure on his brain. On April 25 he was admitted to Sandwell Hospital. He died the next day.

Mr Turton, of Lyndon Grove, who worked for Sirus Automotive in Wednesbury, leaves his partner Sarah and daughter Libby, four.

Dr Brettle apologised to the family and added: "We made a mistake and we recognise that."

Black Country Coroner Robin Balmain said Mr Turton died of a natural disease, but in a narrative verdict he said a scan "did not take place due to human error". He said he doubted that this had affected the outcome.