Tragic dad ‘could have had a year longer with son’
AYOUNG dad who died just weeks after his son was born could have been given a year longer to spend time with him, if his cancer was diagnosed sooner, an inquest heard.
A coroner praised Tom Thornton’s family for fighting to uncover medical failings which cut the 25-yearold’s life short.
The keen Rochdale Rugby Union FC player was let down by staff at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, who failed to spot that he had terminal cancer in his appendix, the inquest was told.
If they had spotted it, he could have received treatment that may have prolonged his life by up to a year, it was said.
It took medics three months before they correctly diagnosed his cancer after he first visited North Manchester General in August 2014 complaining of abdominal pain.
He had his appendix removed and it was sent to pathologist Dr Khalid Ahmed to check if there were any issues.
But Dr Ahmed, who carried out his examination over the weekend, failed to spot cancerous cells.
Senior coroner Joanne Kearsley told the inquest how missing the cells amounted to a ‘serious error,’ after another pathologist who reviewed the case said they should have been ‘easily identified.’
Mr Thornton was given the ‘world shattering’ news that he had terminal cancer by medics in November 2014, after multiple trips back to the hospital.
In his final weeks he got married to his partner Chantelle and was able to witness the birth of their son Maxwell Joseph before he died at Springhill Hospice on January 28, 2015.
But Ms Kearsley said the family should have had ‘more time.’
Recording a narrative verdict at Rochdale Coroners Court, held in Heywood, she said: “There was a lack of time for you as a family, a lack of time to prepare for what was going to happen. If the correct diagnosis had been made, his life expectancy could have been increased by six to 12 months. Tom’s diagnosis should have been made in August 2014. Dr Ahmed should have seen the cancer when he viewed the slides. This was a serious error.”
Speaking directly to the family, Ms Kearsley commended their ‘courage’ in uncovering what happened to Mr Thornton.
The family were only informed that there had been a misdiagnosis in the months following his death when they contacted staff at North Manchester General themselves.
She said: “You have fought to uncover what happened. I don’t think anybody in this court hasn’t been moved by your courage.
“Since that time you haven’t been given a chance to grieve properly. We had to have an inquest that you probably weren’t expecting. You have been a credit to Tom, you have done it for him. I hope that you can find a way, not to forget this, but to move on. For your family, his brother and his son. It’s been a hard and long journey.”
Prof Matthew Makin, medical director at the trust who joined after Tom’s death, earlier told the inquest: “This has been a very painful and prolonged process for the family. We’ve harmed the family by the fact that his process has been so prolonged and they have had to work so hard for a truthful apology.
“I want to apologise on behalf of the trust for our failings, first of all not diagnosing the cancer and the chance of life prolonging treatment at a time when he was fit enough to benefit from it.
“There were a number of matters related to clinical care that could have been improved.”