'I'll never forgive hospital for my wife's death'

Garry Birkill described his wife as an "unbelievable person" who had been let down

A man whose wife died three weeks after a specialised procedure to remove gallstones has said he can "never forgive" Rotherham Hospital for the poor care she received.

Valerie Birkill, 73, from Bolton-upon-Dearne, died after undergoing an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), which involved passing a flexible tube with a camera down her throat.

Her husband Garry Burkill spoke out after NHS Trust documents revealed 58 patients had received "substandard" care from the service between 2016-21, including 25 who "suffered some degree of harm".

Rotherham Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has apologised and said the care provided to some patients was "not at the level we strive for".

Mrs Birkill underwent her ERCP on 1 October 2020, with the procedure lasting just eight minutes.

Despite complaining of stomach pains, the retired hairdresser was discharged an hour later and had to be brought back into hospital by ambulance that night.

The mother of three and grandmother of seven was later diagnosed with a perforated bowel and went on to develop sepsis before her death on 24 October 2020.

The Trust later admitted "failings with regards to the consenting process for the ERCP" and that Mrs Birkill had been "prematurely discharged".

It also admitted "on a balance of probability" that with "appropriate care" Mrs Birkill would have "survived and made a full recovery".

Mr Birkill, 78, said: "The impact has been massive, we just loved Val so much, and we'd do anything to have her back.

"We've always known there was something drastically wrong in the whole system, and my heart goes out to anyone who's had to suffer the same as me and my family."

Valerie Birkill was a mother of three and grandmother of seven

The ERCP procedure, which combines X-ray and endoscopy, comes with known risks and is used to diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas.

However, hospital documents show the ERCP service at Rotherham Hospital was suspended in July 2021 following "a cluster of adverse incidents and complications".

From 2016, the specialised procedure had been carried out almost exclusively by a single consultant nurse at the hospital.

An initial review, published by the Royal College of Physicians in 2023, found that this "isolated practice" had "not provided high standards of performance and safety", resulting in a higher-than-expected complication rate.

Problems included inadequate recording of informed consent, deficiencies in ERCP reports and poor radiological documentation.

A further review by independent medical experts was established to look at all cases between 2016-21 where the patient had died or there were complications within 30 days of the procedure.

In total, 68 cases were looked at in detail with failings in care identified in relation to 58 of them, including 25 where there was "evidence of harm".

The report states "it's difficult to be certain that deficiencies in care were always the cause of harm" given the known complications of the procedure but that the overall risk would likely have increased.

Sinead Rollinson-Hayes, a solicitor with Irwin Mitchell, the law firm that represented the Birkill family, said: "There were multiple failings of care in Val's case, which sadly identified that she would be here today but for those failings in care.

"But reading this report is even more concerning because it is on such a wider scale."

The nurse consultant in question is subject to an investigation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and has interim conditions in place on his ability to practice.

Dr Jo Beahan, medical director for the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We apologise unreservedly to patients and their families affected by the failures identified in the ERCP service review.

"The care provided to some of the patients who underwent the procedure was not at the level that we strive for."

Dr Beahan added: "The Trust has contacted the patients or their relatives whose care has been independently reviewed, including those where no harm was found.

"We have apologised and explained the findings of the review.

"We will continue to support patients and families on an individual basis to ensure they have the opportunity to understand the care they or their relative received.

"We are aware that this may cause concern for other patients who have been treated at the Trust.

"Anyone with concerns about their care in endoscopy can contact the Trust's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on [e-mail] or 01709 424461."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.