An NHS trust has apologized for its negligence in handling the care of MF Doom, a rapper, producer, and MC who died aged 49 while being treated in the hospital because of substandard care. In October 2020, the musician, real name Dumile Daniel Thompson, died due to a lack of oxygen delivered to his brain after a reaction to a prescribed blood pressure medication. As part of the American hip-hop duo Madvillain alongside Madlib, the London-born rapper died at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, England. A Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust, which runs St James’s Hospital, acknowledged after an inquest that there had been “missed opportunities” during his treatment for angioedema, another name for sudden swelling commonly associated with allergic reactions, reported The Guardian. As a result of being prescribed the medication to control his blood pressure, Thompson’s throat, tongue, and lips swelled, Leeds Live reported via The Guardian.
Several medical conditions affected the artist, including kidney failure, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and hepatitis B. He underwent kidney dialysis in Leeds in July 2020. According to the inquest, he registered with a new general practitioner in the city, and doctors could not access his previous medical records due to data privacy concerns. As a result of taking the new medication, Thompson experienced breathing problems on 23 October 2020 and went to St James’s hospital’s A&E department for adrenaline, steroids, and oxygen. The condition of Thompson, who had six children, appeared to improve until he suddenly collapsed and had to be kept on a ventilator until he died on 31 October. The assistant coroner Janine Wolstenholme claimed that when the musician seemed to be in better health, doctors were given a false sense of confidence about how he was progressing and that a care plan drawn up in the hospital was not sufficiently detailed, the outlet reported. Despite being unable to say whether his collapse could have been prevented, Thompson’s symptoms of swelling in his throat, tongue, and lips should have triggered a request for a hospital review, she said.
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According to Wolstenholme, Thompson’s deterioration on 31 October 2020 was rapid and was a “rare event.” She said reaction to the drug was rare, but smokers and African-Caribbeans were more likely to have a reaction to the drug. Thompson was described as a moderate smoker. In a statement, the coroner said the trust accepted that doctors did not seek “specialist input” on the patient’s condition from an immunology expert. In an apology to Thompson’s wife, Jasmine, who watched the inquest via video link from the US, she said it was unfortunate that it had taken so long for the court to hear the case. Following the inquest, Wolstenholme delivered a narrative verdict that addressed several issues that Thompson’s wife and her legal team raised, according to The Guardian. Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust apologized shortly afterward.
Chief medical officer Dr. Hamish McLure said, “I would like to offer our sincere condolences to Daniel’s family, friends, and fans at this difficult time. I apologize that the care he received was not to the standard we would expect. “Following his sad death we undertook a serious incident investigation and the report has been shared with Daniel’s family. As a result we have put in place a number of actions and the wider learning from what happened is to be used as a teaching topic in a number of different clinical specialities. We also support the coroner’s recommendation for clearer national guidance and awareness in this area.”
