h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

David my partner - background information leading to his recent life threatening Illness

• 2001 David has keyhole surgery at Gatwick Park Hospital to trim cartilage from his knee. This is paid for privately.

• The surgeon discovers during the keyhole surgery that David has a torn ligament in his knee and will require more extensive surgery. He advised him that there would be a long wait for the surgery if done under the NHS and advised him to pay privately for the operation, unfortunately this was too expensive and David was unable to afford it.

• The Surgeon recommended David exercise to build up the muscle surrounding the damaged ligament to try and avoid surgery

• June 6th 2002 after returning to the consultant suffering with pain in his knee, David is added to the waiting list for the knee operation to repair his torn ligament.

• David receives information from the waiting list co-ordinator that no NHS hospitals are available and asked him if he would mind travelling further a field to be treated at Goring Hall Hospital on Tuesday 10th July.

• David asked to have a pre-op assessment as he wasn’t initially offered one and felt he needed more information about his operation and also that the hospital should be informed of his family medical history before going ahead with the operation.

• David was offered an over the phone assessment, but asked to be seen in person as he felt this was not thorough enough.

• Tuesday June 10th David has a pre-op assessment at Goring Hall Hospital, a urine test is taken but no blood tests despite the information he gave concerning his family history of embolisms. (His dad and granddad died in their mid 40s – 50’s of blocked arteries, his cousin had a embolism in her brain, his sister suffered a DVT after a flight)

• Friday 13th June 2003 David is referred to Goring Hall Hospital under the care of the NHS, as no other local NHS hospitals are available.

• The surgeon carries out the operation. It is discovered that David’s ligament is not torn but is actually snapped and required a tendon to be grafted in the knee to make a new ligament.

• Sunday 15th June David is discharged from Goring Hall Hospital despite a high temperature

• Monday 7th July 2003 2.30am David Harris agonising back and chest pains plus shortness of breath.

• David’s Partner calls pound hill surgery and is re-direct to Croydon Call centre at approximately 2.30 am.



• 3.15 am Doctor on Duty, calls to talks to David over the phone, David mentions the recent knee surgery, back pain, chest pain and shortness of breath. The doctor says “you sound alright to me, I wont come out to see you, it sounds like a panic attack, if you are still feeling unwell in the morning see your GP”


• Monday 7th July 8.30 am David calls the GP, he asks for an emergency appointment and is told by the receptionist he needs to be assessed by triage before he can be given an appointment

• The GP from Pound Hill Surgery phones David and encourages him to come in at 10am

• David sees his GP at Pound Hill Surgery, She carries out a urine test which is normal, but suggests David go to casualty for a more thorough check up as she is concerned.

• At Casualty David is assessed and taken through to Re-suss where after extensive tests, x-rays etc he is diagnosed with a suspected pulmonary embolism and pneumonia as a result of the recent knee operation

• He is questioned as to what anti coagulants he received from Goring Hall Hospital, to which the answer is none.

• David is admitted to the Acute Assessment Unit at Crawley Hospital under the care of the Heart Specialist - After looking at Davids X-ray and blood test results the specialist confirms pneumonia and a suspected Pulmonary Embolism

• David has a scan on his knee and they discover another 2 blood clots in addition to the one on his lung, one behind the operation site and one on his thigh.

• After 2 nights in the Acute Assessment Unit David is transferred to the Vanguard Ward (still at Crawley Hospital) he is now under a different doctor. (Lung and Chest specialist)

• David remained extremely ill and in the early stages he required 24 hour oxygen, intravenous antibiotics, oral antibiotics, dia morphine, heparin injections, Warfarin and paracetamol (to keep his temperature down), He also had his lung aspirated and the fluid drained of. He has been told the infection in his lung will probably take another 6 weeks to clear fully.

• David was on one occasion offered a second dose of warfarin within an hour of receiving his first dose, no one had realised he had already been given it.

• David collapsed with breathing difficulties during his second week in the Vanguard Ward in Crawley. I mentioned that David was also an asthmatic and she said “Oh I didn’t know that. she then gave him a nebuliser in addition to the oxygen. The information about David’s asthma was given on admission to casualty and also when questioned about which medication he was taking.

• The Heart and Lung Specialist informed David that this illness was a direct result of the recent knee surgery.

• David was finally discharged from Crawley Hospital on 24th July nearly 3 weeks after he was admitted to hospital. He is on 6 months of daily warfarin and his breathing is still not as good as it should be.


In reply to this we received 2 letters from East Surrey trust.

The first letter informed us that an investigation was being carried out into the bullet points raised above. The second letter said that a reply from Goring Hall Hospital had been received by them as a result of the ongoing investigation. They also advised that Goring Hall had informed them that a blood test was indeed carried out at the pre-op assessment and that no information was given regarding Davids family history of Blood clots.

We contacted East Surrey again via telephone who were not in the least surprised that we were unhappy with the result. They advised us to write directly to Goring Hall Hospital. Which we did.

This time a reply confirmed that in fact no blood test was carried out at the pre-op assessment but still denied the other matters mentioned above.

We have since arranged a meeting with Goring Hall Hospital to clarify the matter

David received sympathy from the Surgeon and management during this meeting but no apology or admittance of any wrong doing.