Hospital Failed To Inform Man He Was Terminally Ill

A devastating failure in communication has been revealed at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where a father of seven, William Chapman, was not told he had terminal pulmonary fibrosis. He only discovered his prognosis when his GP, under the mistaken assumption that Mr. Chapman knew, mentioned it during a phone conversation. This critical information was withheld by hospital consultants who had noted the diagnosis in correspondence to his GP but failed to inform Mr. Chapman directly or provide him with a copy of the letter.

Mr. Chapman, aged 58, passed away in 2022, eight months after his diagnosis. His family expressed deep disappointment, stating that if he had known the truth, he would have stopped working sooner and spent his remaining time with his 16 grandchildren. The family's trauma was compounded by the hospital's inadequate response to their complaint, which took over a year and failed to fully acknowledge its failings or their impact.

An investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found a worrying lack of accountability and poor record-keeping at the hospital. While no failings in clinical care were identified, the Ombudsman emphasized the severe consequences of poor communication, highlighting the loss of dignity and the deprivation of decision-making opportunities for patients. The trust has since apologized and agreed to pay compensation.