Family urges patients to push for echocardiogram results

A Derry woman whose father died suddenly is urging anyone sent for an echocardiogram for potential heart problems, to make sure the results are sent to their GP.

Nadine Hamilton’s father Terence Moore, affectionately known as ‘Digger’, died on June 15, 2022, from a massive heart attack.

Speaking to The Derry News, Ms Hamilton said: “My father died three months after he underwent an echocardiogram in Altnagelvin Hospital on March 21, 2022.

“My sister and I were devastated by his death. Daddy was central to our family. He meant the world to Erin and me,.

“But as well as trying to cope with our grief, we are angry that the results of my daddy’s echocardiogram were not communicated to his GP. As a result of this mistake, my Daddy received no treatment for his heart condition, treatment which may have prolonged his life.

“Back in January 2022, my daddy rang me because he was concerned about swelling in his feet and legs. Obviously he was really worried because he hated going near the hospital. I rang A&E and they recommended that he come over to the hospital immediately.

“When he was there they did lots of tests, gave him tablets and sent him home. They were happy to discharge him that night. They told him he would have to come back for further tests but they did not have any beds that particular night.

“Daddy went back for a chest X-Ray on February 28, 2022, which indicated his earlier pneumonia had resolved.

“He then received his echocardiogram on March 21, 2022. The medical staff told him they would be in touch with him about his results. However, daddy heard nothing more about his echocardiogram and his results were not passed on to his GP. Daddy naturally assumed ‘no news was good news,’” said Ms Hamilton.

“And then, in June 2022, he died with a massive heart attack, on his own, in his flat,” she added, tearfully.

“After my daddy’s death, I kept thinking something had gone wrong, that there was negligence. I knew he had gone for an echocardiogram and he had heard no results and I thought, ‘How can someone just die of a heart attack in a couple of months?’

“I knew something was wrong, that they had missed something. Daddy’s echocardiogram results should have gone to his GP but they forgot to send them and he died.

“I received a letter from the chief executive of the Western Health and Social Care Trust on September 29, 2023, in response to concerns I had raised about Daddy’s treatment,” said Ms Hamilton

The Derry News has seen a copy of this letter which states: “The echocardiogram was completed and the report showed: impaired Left Ventricle (LV) systolic function with Regional Wall Motion Abnormalities (RWMAs - a part of left side chamber of the heart) seen in keeping with Myocardial Infarction (MI), no significant valve disease seen.”

Ms Hamilton said: “In that letter, we also found out that the service manager for unscheduled care in the Trust ‘advised the usual practice would be the echocardiogram report is uploaded to ECR [Electronic Care Record] and a copy of the report is sent to the referring clinician, unfortunately on this occasion the report was not received by [the acute medical consultant] but would have been available to view on ECR for any clinician’.

“Essentially, my daddy’s consultant and his GP were not informed about the results of his echocardiogram. This meant he received no further diagnosis or treatment. No-one knew the echocardiogram results were on the ECR, so how were they supposed to read them and prescribe any treatment? It is ridiculous. As a result, our family commissioned a report on daddy’s death from an independent cardiologist,” said Ms Hamilton.

The Derry News has seen a copy of the independent cardiologist’s report.

It said: “It is my opinion that he should have been started on aspirin, bisoprolol, ramipril and a statin soon after this echocardiogram had been performed.

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“Failure to communicate the abnormal echocardiogram result to a cardiologist, who could initiate these medications, and to the GP does represent a breach of duty.”

“Everything my father died with showed up in the echocardiogram. If his GP had been told, daddy could have received treatment.

“Interestingly, when we requested my daddy’s medical records initially, the echocardiogram results were omitted.

“My message to anyone reading this is, if you undergo any tests in hospital, especially an echocardiogram, please, please follow up with your GP.

“Daddy was our world. What they did was not right. He was due to walk my sister down the aisle a few months later. He missed out on her wedding. He missed out on so much. It is awful.

“I also want other people to know they can speak up. If they don’t speak up then nothing is going to change.

“They are saying it would only have increased his chances minimally but at least we would have had time. He just died on his own.”