Doctors' blunder causes toilet brush death

A YOUNG mum died after a series of blunders by doctors who failed to spot a six-inch long TOILET BRUSH HANDLE embedded in her buttock, an inquest was told today.
Cindy Corton, 35, was left with the bizarre injury after a drunken fall in a friend's bathroom in 2005 but "serious errors" by doctors then led to her death.

It was two years before Cindy, who was in constant pain, was able to convince doctors that the thin serrated plastic handle was stuck in the flesh of her bottom.

By then what should have been a routine procedure to remove it had become much more dangerous because the handle had become embedded in her pelvis.

After two unsuccessful operations in 2007 the mother-of-one was in such agony that she agreed to undergo further surgery in June last year despite being told it could prove fatal.

Cindy of Sleaford, Lincs, spent more than ten hours in surgery at Nottingham's Queens Medical Centre but died from massive blood loss.

Husband Peter, 61, said that when his wife first attended A&E at Lincoln County Hospital she was sent home with painkillers, despite showing them the wound on her bottom.

Four days later she was in such pain she went to Grantham Hospital and, although x-rays were taken, nothing was found.

He told the inquest in Grantham: "She wasn't properly examined by the doctor at Lincoln.

"At Grantham she wasn't examined properly again.

"This was unsatisfactory. The failures to investigate sufficiently in the first place at Lincoln and Grantham were a major factor in Cindy suffering.

"This could have been prevented by early location and removal of the foreign body which would have been a simple procedure at the time."

Recording a narrative verdict West Lincolnshire coroner Stuart Fisher criticised Dr Killian Mbewe who first examined Mrs Corton at Grantham Hospital.

Despite being told what had happened he simply had an x-ray taken which revealed nothing.

"It appears Dr Mbewe did not seek a second opinion, " said Mr Fisher.

"My view is that this failure to pursue further medical inquiries at this stage was a very serious error on his part.

"Had he done so and surgery had taken place I have no doubt Mrs Corton would be alive today.

"Surely if it was not picked up on the x-ray you don't abandon this woman and send her home with a few tablets.

"It was a significant foreign object. It is difficult to image anything more significant."

Witness Bruce Hickling of Ruskington, Lincs, told the hearing of the night the accident happened when Cindy had arrived at his home drunk.

He said: "She was drunk. After about an hour she wanted to go to the toilet but I had to help her up the stairs.

"Then I heard the toilet flush followed by a bang and a cry.

"I went in and saw Cindy stuck between the toilet and the wall. I tried to lift her but she was wedged tight."

He needed the assistance of a friend to free her before calling an ambulance because she was bleeding.

"When the crew arrived they weren't very happy. They said she was drunk."

He said it was the next day when he discovered that the handle of the toilet brush was snapped off and missing.

Cindy's husband, a construction manager, is now taking legal action against United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

He said after the hearing: "Ok she was drunk but they didn't take her seriously. She showed them the wound but they didn't do a proper examination.

"I think it was probably down to the hospitals trying to save money and doing things as cheaply as possible."

He added: "Cindy got a very poor service from the NHS. I'm sure she would have got better treatment in foreign countries."