Prevented from dying with dignity: Brian Williams, 77, suffered 31 electric shocks in two days after doctors failed to switch off a heart defibrillator inside him
A dying father suffered 31 painful electric shocks in two days after doctors failed to switch off a heart defibrillator inside him.
Brian Williams, 77, was admitted to Tameside Hospital after he collapsed at home with a terminal brain tumour.
After doctors told his seven children he was unlikely to live, they decided to end his treatment.
But he was prevented from dying with dignity after doctors failed to turn off an implant fitted years earlier to regulate an abnormal heart rhythm.
Defibrillator implants are fitted in people with abnormal heart rhythms and can give the heart electric shocks to restore the patient’s heart beat.
They are inserted just under the collar bone and are the size of a matchbox.
In this case, it meant that every time Mr Williams was finally slipping away, he suffered an electric shock inside his body as the device tried to restart his heart and bring him back to life.
It was only when Mr Williams’ son-in-law held his hand and he was shocked himself that doctors realised their mistake.
The pensioner's defibrillator implant was eventually deactivated and he died a few hours later.
Tameside NHS Foundation Trust has since admitted staff failed to identify the defibrillator and switch it off at the appropriate time,Discount Oakley Sunglasses. It has agreed an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with the family.
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