An NHS Trust has apologised after an inquest into the 2020 death of MF DOOM was told that he had been given inadequate care while in hospital.
The rapper, real name Dumile Daniel Thompson, died in October 2020 while receiving treatment for angioedema at Leeds’ St. James’ University Hospital. His cause of death was a lack of oxygen to his brain after a reaction he had to a drug prescribed for blood pressure.
The Guardian reports that the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs St James’, acknowledged at the inquest that there had been "missed opportunities" while the rapper was being treated. It comes after his wife, Jasmin Thompson, told the inquest, at Wakefield Coroner’s Court, earlier this week that she believed her husband’s death was caused by hospital negligence. She alleged that he wasn’t being checked on regularly and had been unable to alert staff to his worsening condition as his buzzer was out of reach.
The inquest heard this week that the rapper had registered with a new GP in Leeds, where he was living with his family, and doctors had been unable to access his previous medical notes because of concerns about data protection. He was then prescribed blood pressure medication.
On October 23, 2020, Thompson developed breathing problems after taking the new medication and went to the A&E department at St James’ where he was taken in for further treatment. Though his condition initially appeared to improve, it suddenly deteriorated shortly after and he collapsed. The rapper, who had six children, was subsequently put on a ventilator and died on October 31.
Assistant coroner Janine Wolstenholme said a care plan drawn up in hospital for the rapper was not sufficiently detailed and that doctors were given a "false reassurance" about his condition when his health appeared to initially improve. She added that when he suggested the swelling in his throat, tongue and lips were getting worse, a review into his care should have taken place. She stopped short, however, of saying whether his collapse could have been avoided.
Wolstenholme concluded the inquest with a narrative verdict in which she addressed a number of care-related issues highlighted by Thompson’s wife and her legal team.
Dr Hamish McLure, the chief medical officer of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, apologised after, saying: "I would like to offer our sincere condolences to Daniel’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time. I apologise that the care he received was not to the standard we would expect.
"Following his sad death we undertook a serious incident investigation and the report has been shared with Daniel’s family. As a result we have put in place a number of actions and the wider learning from what happened is to be used as a teaching topic in a number of different clinical specialities. We also support the coroner’s recommendation for clearer national guidance and awareness in this area."
