British Docs, Like American Docs Continue the All in your head Myth

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Brain haemorrhage death 'after panic attack diagnosis'

A 51-year-old woman died of a brain haemorrhage after a series of doctors

misdiagnosed her condition as a panic attack and later as gallstones.

Relatives of Jane Parry say the case highlights the dreadful state of the

NHS.

They are seeking compensation against Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS

Trust.

Ms Parry, from Acocks Green, Birmingham, died last September after being

told by Solihull Hospital she was suffering a panic attack, brought on by

news of a fatal crash involving her nephew a week earlier.

Then, after being transferred to Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital, the

mother-of-one was put in a gynaecological ward, where she was told she might

have gallstones.

The family's solicitor, Louise Hunt, head of clinical negligence at law firm

and , said Ms Parry had twice been allowed home.

The lawyer said the Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust had said

that it failed to identify the brain haemorrhage.

Ms Hunt added: " This is yet another example of this continuing problem in

the NHS and an active, healthy 51-year-old is now dead as a result. This

lady had the classic symptoms of a brain haemorrhage.

" How many more people will die unnecessarily because standards of basic

health care are just not good enough?

" This is not a matter of money, this family has been through so much, it is

justice they want, and to try to prevent this catalogue of errors from

happening again. "

Story filed: 11:19 Thursday 24th January 2002

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