Delayed Diagnosis – William Osler Health Centre in Brampton
I would like to file a complaint against William Osler Health Centre in Brampton. I have already filed a complaint with the hospital as well as with the College of Physicians of Ontario. Please see the information below.
My husband passed away on May 20, 2012 of meningitis carcinamatosis. My main complaint is firstly of the delayed diagnosis of his first cancer (lung), his treatment at William Osler Brampton in emergency care, mainly the third visit (released from the hospital by Dr. Puri), the Oncologist`s (Dr. Sahdev) failure to diagnose the second cancer (meningitis carcinamatosis) at it`s earlier stages and his lack of interest in a reassessment when the family Doctor called with concerns of his progressive symptoms. I have already contacted the Brampton Hospital`s Patient relations and filed a complaint in which a meeting with Dr. Puri and his reporting Doctor as well as Dr. Sahdev. The reply I received back was that this was a rare cancer that could not be diagnosed, however the Oncologist at Trillium (Dr. Kwong) said that it was not rare, but very unusual to not have other signs of cancer somewhere else in the body. Also, I can search the information on the internet so Dr. Sahdev should have treated my husband as worst case scenario which would have been for my husband as meningitis carcinamatosis which is common in lung cancer patients. It was very embarrassing when we went to Trillium hospital and the doctors asked us what the Doctors in Brampton had done for my husband and why were we there as he is a very sick man. The series of tests performed at Trillium should have been performed at Brampton on April 13th when my husband had been admitted and not sent home with constipation. I have heard several other similar complaints in regards to the William Osler Emergency Department as well. Where the patients were released and had died shortly after. My complaint is not only related to the attending Doctors I`ve mentioned in this email but also with William Osler Brampton Hospital. I would like to take my complaint the hospital further if you could direct me to the right place, I would like to take the hospital complaint to the next level.
My husband had knee surgery in August 2009 at Georgetown Hospital. A chest xray was ordered by the Doctor performing the surgery because my husband had a cold at the time. Knee surgery was done successfully and that was in the end of that. Seven months later we received a call (March 17, 2010) from our family Doctor indicating that he was going through his files and noticed a chest xray done prior that showed a spot on my husband`s lung. The Family doctor sent my husband for a CT scan and it was found that he had non-small cell lung cancer. My husband started treatment in June 2010, biopsy in August 2010 in the other lung and surgery in Sept 2010 to remove the top lobe of his lung and surrounding lymph nodes. He started to recuperate at home, he picked up a few other illnesses but went back to work in March 2011. In Nov. 2011 he started to experience symptoms, such as vatigue, blocked sinuses, neck pain, headache. In Feb. 2012, he went to see his Oncologist. An MRI and neck CT scan were done and they only thing found was degenerative disc disease. We were sent back to the family doctor who referred my husband to a pain clinic. The treatments at the pain clinic did not seem to work and my husband was slowly getting worse symptoms. He was having problems swallowing and throwing up. We went to Brampton Civic Emerg in March 13th. He was given medication for vomiting and pain and sent home. We returned again to Brampton Emerg on March 14th, a different pain medication was given to him along with more medication for vomiting and he was sent home. Symptoms continued at home and got worse. We ended back at Brampton Emerg on April 13th. We begged and pleaded to have him admitted. They admitted him for one night and did an endoscopy only to find that he was constipated. They treated the constipation and sent him home. My question to the doctor before his release was how can the constipation cause the swallowing and throwing up that my husband was experiencing his answer was that constipation can cause nausea and to follow up with the family doctor in 3 days. We went to the family doctor as my husband`s symptoms continued.
We asked the family doctor if he could admit him to the hospital and he said that he could not unless he was dehydrated. They did bloodwork that did not indicate my husband was dehydrated. Also, we indicated to the family doctor that my husband`s blood pressure was low. The family doctor told him to stop taking his blood pressure pills. My question was, what would cause his blood pressure to drop. He has had high blood pressure since he was in his early forties. I asked our family doctor to call Oncologist and ask him if he could admit him to do further testing and the Oncologist said it is not a cancer issue and there are no beds available in the Oncology department. My husband lasted another few weeks until he was unable to swallow his pills he was choking on them so I told him it was dangerous for him to be at home without care and he would have to go back to emergency. This time we went to Trillium on April 30th. By this time he had paralysis in his face and his blood pressure was low. He was admitted to Trillium where a series of tests were performed. A spinal fluid tap indicated he had spinal fluid cancer. Results were given to us on May 16th and he passed away on May 20th.
J. Bennett