Man died after medics missed artery tear - coroner

A lack of radiologists on duty was a key factor in the death of a man who went into hospital suffering chest pains, a coroner concluded.

Aston Villa fan Mark Villers died three days after he sought help while suffering from an unidentified tear in his aorta – the artery carrying blood from his heart – at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, on 21 May 2024.

Coroner Louise Hunt said his condition went undiagnosed as abnormalities that showed up on a CT scan were not recognised, but should have prompted tests that would have discovered the tear.

A spokesman for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS said the trust was committed to continually reviewing its staffing levels to maximise safety.

Since Mr Villers died, a fundraising page set up for his family has raised more than £33,000.

Organiser Stephen Plant said Mr Villers had been a selfless, kind, caring and strong person who had been "striving to make a difference in this world".

He said the loyal Villa fan had been a "passionate lover of life".

The coroner's report described how Mr Villers went to the hospital on 18 May 2024 with a severe chest pain, initially assessed by medics as a digestive condition.

His CT scan was reported as showing no abnormalities but a review later revealed it had shown problems that, if spotted, would have led to further tests and his life could have been saved.

On 20 May, Mr Villers returned to the hospital and it was thought he had infected gallstones.

He stayed overnight and no concerns were noted but he was found collapsed the next morning and could not be resuscitated.

A post-mortem examination confirmed the tear in the aorta caused his death.

Ms Hunt said the trust investigated and found there were "insufficient radiologists to report the large number of CT scans undertaken over the weekend period" at the time Mr Villers went to hospital.

She said it was "one of the root causes of the very subtle abnormality indicating aortic dissection being missed".

Her report said while the situation had improved at the hospital, the number of radiologists on duty was still not in accordance with Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) guidelines.

The president of the RCR , Dr Katharine Halliday, said: "The 29% shortfall of radiologists across the UK, equivalent to almost 2,000 fewer radiologists than we need, is a critical concern for patient safety."

She said the college continued to call for the workforce to grow.

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