An NHS trust has apologised for giving substandard care to hip-hop star MF DOOM: "The care he received was not to the standard we would expect."
ADVERTISEMENTThe celebrated masked rapper MF DOOM, one of hip-hop's most respected MCs, born Daniel Dumile, died suddenly on 31 October 2020 while being treated at St. James’s Hospital in Leeds, England.
After it was reported this week that Dumile’s widow, Jasmine Dumile, had raised numerous concerns regarding Dumile’s care in hospital, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs St James’s, has issued an apology, three years after the rap icon died at the age of 49.
“I would like to offer our sincere condolences to Daniel’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time,” Hamish McLure, chief medical officer of the trust, said, per The Guardian. “I apologize 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,” McLure continued. “We also support the coroner’s recommendation for clearer national guidance and awareness in this area.”
This apology came after an inquest into Dumile’s death, during which the trust acknowledged there had been “missed opportunities” in his course of treatment.
The rapper who was suffering from several conditions, including kidney failure, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and Hepatitis B, died from angioedema, a sudden swelling often caused by an allergic reaction.
In the inquiry, assistant coroner Janine Wolstenholme confirmed that Dumile’s care plan was not complete and that doctors were given a “false reassurance” about his condition. Wolstenholme, who described the death as a “rare event,” said that when Dumile complained that the swelling was getting worse, it should have triggered a request for a review at the hospital.
Wolstenholme also apologized to Jasmine Dumile for the length of time it took to complete the inquest.
