Specialist medical negligence and personal injury law firm Enable Law are representing the family of Calogero Di Blasi, who died on 1 December 2022 when an endoscopic investigation for cancer went wrong at the University Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation.
During the operation, the surgeon, who was looking to see if there was cancer in Mr Di Blasi’s stomach, took a biopsy of a large vein, which caused bleeding that the medical team was unable to control.
Although the hospital knew about the enlarged vein, as it was picked up in tests weeks before the surgery, it was revealed in the inquest that the surgeon had not checked Mr Di Blasi’s medical records.
In the inquest, Mr Dixon, the Trust’s investigator, gave evidence to the Coroner and accepted that the surgeon should have known that the lump was possibly an enlarged vein and stopped the endoscopy. If he had done this, Mr Di Blasi would not have died.
The Hospital Trust admitted that it had changed its practises since Mr Di Blasi’s death. It now asks patients whether they have had any tests or investigations within the last six weeks, leading them to review their medical records.
Jackie Linehan, Legal Director at Enable Law, part of the Foot Anstey Group, said: “It is good to see that the Trust has put measures in place to stop this from happening again. It will not change what happened, but at least they learned from it and are trying to ensure it never happens again.
“My client lost her loving husband and carer, and nothing can change the pain of her loss. My role now is to try to help her and their wider family during this very difficult time.”
