Doctor weeps as she says sorry for vitamin error that led to death

A DOCTOR wept at an inquest as she apologised to the family of a pensioner from Yorkshire who died after she was over-prescribed tablets to treat a Vitamin D deficiency.

Dr Claire Wiles made the emotional statement to the family of 86-year-old cancer survivor Eileen Cowles after the inquest heard the pensioner, of Leeds, had mistakenly been prescribed two tablets a day instead of two tablets a month.

After giving evidence, a visibly upset Dr Wiles said: “I just want to say I’m sorry. I am sorry to the family.”

Dr Wiles was newly qualified and had only been working as a GP at Park Row Medical Centre in Guiseley, Leeds, for just over a year when she made a mistake while transcribing a repeat prescription in November 2014.

The inquest heard Dr Wiles had also confirmed that the prescription of 40,000 units per day of colecalciferol was correct after it was queried by both the care home where Mrs Cowles was being looked after and the pharmacy that which dealt with the order.

The inquest heard the dosage given to Mrs Cowles would have instead been appropriate for a patient who had chronic liver disease.

The repeat prescription was issued by the Park Row Medical Centre in November 2014 and was repeated every month until February 2015.

The increased dose over a number of months led to Mrs Cowles suffering a condition called hypercalcimia, where there is too much Vitamin D in the blood.

She died after suffering intestinal bleeding caused by the high levels of calcium in her blood.

The inquest continues.