David Bown, 41, was prescribed the drug temozolomide by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which is at the centre of a scandal involving patients being given “unnecessary chemotherapy”.
A brain tumour patient who was wrongly given chemotherapy for eight years instead of six months is now suing the NHS after being left with irreversible neurological damage.
David Bown, 41, was prescribed the drug temozolomide by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which is at the centre of a scandal involving patients being given “unnecessary chemotherapy”.
The “fit and active” IT systems manager and keen footballer began suffering seizures around 10 years ago before scans showed a low-grade brain tumour. He underwent surgery to remove the mass – but an MRI scan was not carried out 48 hours later which would have highlighted life-threatening complications.
When a scan was carried out four days later, he was still not sent to theatre for emergency surgery, despite it showing bleeding and swelling of the brain. He went on to suffer a stroke and later became comatose at which point he was rushed back into theatre for extraction of the blood clot, placement of a drain and further tumour resection.
The surgery relieved the pressure on the brain and drained the fluid but lawyers claim the delayed scanning and surgical intervention was performed too late to prevent irreversible brain damage. He was then prescribed temozolomide chemotherapy and continued on the drug for over eight years – instead of the six months recommended by clinical guidelines.
Independent experts say the prolonged chemotherapy exposed David to unnecessary risks, including increased chances of secondary blood cancers. David now lives with significant cognitive and visual impairment, requiring daily support from his parents to manage his medication, prepare meals, and attend appointments.
He now also experiences depression, which lawyers say is linked directly to the years of debilitating treatment.
David, of Atherstone, Warks., said: “I went from living a normal, active life – working, coaching kids’ football, seeing my mates – to being completely dependent on my mum and dad for everything.
“I trusted the hospital to do what was best for me but looking back, I just can’t understand why I was treated the way I was for so long. It has taken everything from me. I cry myself to sleep at night – I dream where I can see and then I wake up and I can’t see. It’s a nightmare.”
His legal team say the failures in his care – from consent and surgical planning to the delayed recognition of complications post-operatively and the prolonged, inappropriate chemotherapy – have had a devastating and irreversible impact on his life.
Fiona Tinsley, partner at Brabners who are representing the family, said: “David was a young man with his whole future ahead of him. The cumulative effect of these failings has robbed him of his independence, his health and years of his life.”
The firm says it has also uncovered further proof of harmful cancer treatments at University Hospitals Coventry and over 30 patients are now taking legal action.
They claim new evidence has come to light that points to a wider pattern of harm and “systematic” issues with care across the trust.
Fiona added: “What began as concerns about chemotherapy in Coventry now points to systemic failings across a number of practice areas in the trust, involving neuro-oncology clinicians, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, clinical nurse specialists and pharmacists at UHCW.
“The human cost has been devastating. People were told they would have months to live without treatment and endured years of debilitating treatment, believing it was keeping them alive. The burden of these failures has been profound. Patients have suffered physical, psychological, and financial harm, including loss of career, fertility, and quality of life.
“For many there is also no end in sight, with some patients becoming infertile and going into early menopause and one developing secondary leukaemia requiring a stem cell transplant. All patients involved have also been placed at increased risk of secondary cancers.
“These patients deserve answers and assurance that the NHS has learned from this, so it never happens again. These patients deserve answers, accountability and assurance that every lesson is being learned. This is in the public interest.”
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust said: “We are committed to providing the safest possible care for our patients. As a legal claim is ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this stage.”
