A woman died in a hospital in Huddersfield, England, after a radiologist failed to report that her gastric band had “slipped,” according to a January 16 BBC report.
Gemma Marshall, 44, from Halifax, died on March 15, 2024 “from the consequences” of the device’s movement, according to the assistant coroner for West Yorkshire, Steve Eccleston, the BBC said. Eccleston issued a Prevent Future Deaths report to NHS England and the Royal College of Radiologists over the death.
According to Eccleston’s report, the radiologist had been working for an outsourced company because of staff shortages at the hospital.
“The scan report mentioned the existence of the band but didn’t comment on the fact the images clearly showed the band was out of position,” Eccleston’s report stated.
In response, Stephen Harden, MD, vice president of the Royal College of Radiologists, said the organization was “considering steps that we can take to improve knowledge of how slipped gastric bands present and could be identified on imaging,” the BBC reported.