Negligent BRI consultant jailed over death of mum-of-two (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Negligent BRI consultant jailed over death of mum-of-two

6:00am Saturday 26th May 2012 in Bradford By Michael Black

A Bradford hospital consultant whose gross negligence led to the death of a mother-of-two has been jailed for two years.

Consultant urologist Sudhanshu Garg, 44, was led out of the dock at Leeds Crown Court yesterday as many of those in the public gallery looked on in tears.

The court heard how 37-year-old Lisa Quinn died at Bradford Royal Infirmary on Monday August 25, 2008 – three days after she went into the Accident and Emergency Department suffering from a kidney infection.

Before that, a judge was told, she had been a fit and healthy young mother.

Mrs Quinn – who left children aged ten and 12 – was admitted to hospital on a Friday and her condition deteriorated over the Bank Holiday weekend.

She was not given a crucial ultra-sound scan until two days after she arrived at the hospital and Garg missed vital opportunities to properly investigate what was developing into a life-threatening infection and blockage.

A judge heard how, on the Sunday evening, Garg missed a chance for Mrs Quinn to be transferred for emergency treatment at a hospital in Leeds.

She eventually got the nephrostomy treatment she needed on the Monday evening but died soon after.

Garg admitted gross negligence manslaughter earlier this year.

Sentencing him, the judge, Mr Justice Globe, said he had no choice but to send him to prison.

The judge said: “Your plea means that your breach of duty was causative of Lisa Quinn’s death and cumulatively it amounts to a disturbing picture of a failure to take action.”

He said that if Garg had performed his duties correctly “the overwhelming probability is that she could have survived”.

The judge also described how Garg falsified Mrs Quinn’s medical records in a deliberate attempt to cover his failures. “It was a blatant attempt to disguise and conceal evidence of your failures,” he said.

The judge said it was extremely rare for a doctor to be convicted of gross negligence manslaughter.

Garg, of Cottingley, stood in the dock wearing an open-neck, short-sleeved shirt as he was sentenced.

The court heard he qualified as a doctor in India in 1991 but all his post qualification training was in the UK and he got his first consultant’s job, at Bradford, in 2006.

Mark Ellison QC, in mitigation, told the court he was now a “broken man”.

Mrs Quinn’s children – Reece Conroy, now 16, and Rachel Conroy, 14 – issued a statement, which said: “We both miss our wonderful and loving mum every single day.

“We adored her and she adored us.

“"She was always there for us and used to have us in stitches with her funny jokes and stories.

“She was caring and thoughtful and a mum in a million."

Mrs Quinn’s mother, Sandra Godfrey, said: “Lisa was my eldest daughter and my best friend.

“She was feisty and outspoken but she always put others before herself. She had a personality that shone and was full of fun and lived life to the full.

“She was a wonderful mother, a special sister and I feel so blessed that I had such a loving and caring daughter in my life.”

Her sister, Charlotte Godfrey, said: “Lisa wasn’t just my big sister but my best friend. Whenever I was feeling down or needed advice, she would always know the right thing to say or do. Since Lisa's death, every day is a struggle.

“She will never be forgotten and forever loved within my heart. I was proud to call her my sister.”