A renowned Gujarat-origin doctor in the UK, professor Amit Patel, tragically succumbed to a condition he specialised in treating, following medical errors during his care in an understaffed hospital ward. 

During the commencement of the inquiry in court on Apr 4, shocking revelations emerged in court, according to local media reports. Dr Patel’s widow, Dr Shivani Tanna, disclosed that one of the doctors attending to her husband expressed unfamiliarity with HLH, stating that he “had never heard of it” and would “research about it.”

Tanna is still in shock at how a person can die of a disease he is a national expert in. During his career, he established “national guidance” regarding rare illnesses and served on the national multi-disciplinary panel for the most severe cases.

She alleged that the hospital staff started treating him with steroids, which led to a short-term improvement. She said that when he visited him on August 27, he was in a state of unconsciousness. Moreover, the number of nurses in the hospital was so low that they had to make observations and administer fluids.

“If a doctor who ranks among the best doctors and specialists in the UK is being treated so badly, then understand how other citizens of the UK are being treated by such doctors,” added Tanna.

43- year-old and a father of two, Dr Patel was a pioneer in stem cell plantations in the UK and an expert haematologist (expert in diseases of the blood and blood components).

In August 2021, Patel was admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester with flu-like symptoms. At that time, he was said to have a throat infection. Despite being prescribed antibiotics, his condition did not improve. 

The doctors were unable to diagnose the underlying illness afflicting him.

Ultimately, it is believed that he was experiencing hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and potentially fatal immune disorder where the body reacts inappropriately to diseases such as infections or cancer, resulting in inflammation.

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