Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust admits faults in treatment of Yorkshire footballer who nearly died after he had his tonsils out

Corey Wilkinson, of Grimsby, had the routine procedure at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in his hometown on November 23, 2021 and travelled up to Leeds that evening to visit his girlfriend.

The following day his condition worsened and he was rushed to Leeds General Infirmary with severe bleeding, and he later suffered a cardiac arrest after his airways became blocked for two lengthy periods as doctors treated him, causing him to be starved of oxygen.

They first ran into complications as they were unable to insert a breathing tube through either Mr Wilkinson’s nose or mouth, due to the high amount of blood blocking his airways.

They eventually carried out an emergency tracheostomy (cutting a hole in the neck to insert a breathing tube), but the struggle had left him starved of oxygen for between 10 and 15 minutes.

He was then placed on a ventilator to help his breathing as he was admitted into an Intensive Care Unit overnight, but then a decision was taken the following morning to end his sedatives and remove the breathing tube.

At this point the 19-year-old immediately began struggling with his breathing again and was starved of oxygen for a further four minutes before doctors managed to put the tube back in place. During this time he suffered a cardiac arrest and a hypoxic and ischaemic brain injury.

The former semi-professional footballer and fitness trainer remained on life support for two weeks, a time when it was touch and go as to whether he’d pull through, before he eventually came around and was able to be discharged home to be with his parents and two sisters in January 2022.

At that stage he was unable to walk or talk, and was having to eat a fluid diet due to not being able to swallow.

Now aged 20, he has made an impressive recovery, attending the gym every day, and his speech having returned. He does still struggle with pains, mobility restrictions and from tiredness and confusion.

His mother Nichola Wilkinson said: “We’d been at hospital with him and were told there had been substantial bleeding, but we were not in any kind of panic as my sister had her tonsils removed some years ago and she also suffered bleeding and needed surgery to stop it. It was all straightforward for her though.

“We left him as we were told he’d need to stay in overnight, but then just as we arrived home in the early hours of the morning we got a call telling us we needed to come back and that it was serious. We were told that it was so bad he may not survive, and if he did he may never be the same boy again because he would likely have suffered brain damage. It was heartbreaking.

“When he did eventually come home from hospital we had a lot of tears and frustrations as he wanted to be the person he was before, and he was upset at losing his independence and needing our support. It has been a long road back to where he is now.

“He was determined to do the best he could though, and as soon as he could he was using our walking machine at home and the weights to get himself physically better. For a while he needed to use the wheelchair, then a walking frame, but as soon as he was able to he was back to the gym and he has gone every day without fail.

“His confidence was shattered by what happened. Initially he did speak slowly and was slurred, but again, over time, that has improved, although I know he still feels self-conscious about it, as he does the scar on his neck from the emergency surgery.

“For a long time he’d want me to go with him to appointments to speak for him. It has been such a difficult thing for him to deal with but we are so proud of him.”

The keen boxer had been about to start work as a personal trainer, and after his family’s solicitors, Hudgells, secured a £25,000 pay-out from the Trust, hopes to return to playing sport. They money will go towards further rehabilitation costs and speech therapy.

Solicitor Matthew Gascoyne said: “We are very grateful to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for making early admissions of breach of duty in this case and for agreeing to this interim payment to pay for rehabilitation support which will hugely help Corey on his continuing recovery.

“We had outlined our concerns over the treatment Corey received, in particular decisions to carry out the initial surgery with only one anaesthetist present, a failure to plan to sufficiently clear his airways before surgery, and then to end sedation and remove his breathing tube the following morning before the day-shift medical staff arrived, and before an Intensive Care Consultant would have been expected on the unit.

“Corey is an inspirational young man who was making a positive life for himself before this event, and has been determined to pick his life back up since and make the best possible recovery.

“His legal claim will continue as we will seek to ensure he continues to have access to a team of specialists who can help him return to his training and then employment, and enjoy the best quality of life and independence, whilst of course seeking significant damages for the impact of what happened to him.”

A Serious Incident Investigation into Corey’s treatment has led to a number of changes to procedures being made at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to ensure anaesthetists and surgery teams are best prepared to handle situations where the airways of patients suddenly become blocked.

This includes new guidance with regards the need for two anesthetists when patients are being anesthetised and have an anticipated difficult airway. Teams should also have a clear plan set out on the management of unexpected loss of airways in patients. Clear plans must also be in place with regards to the suitability of breathing tubes being removed from patients out of hours.

These changes have been welcomed by Nichola Wilkinson, who says she still can’t believe how close she came to losing her son after a routine procedure, carried out on thousands of children and teenagers each year.

“We’re so proud of Corey and how far he has come, and we are lucky to still have him with us given what happened,” she said.

“We came so close to losing him that night, after such a routine procedure, so I’ve wanted people to know the dangers, and when we found out what had happened at the hospital, we wanted lessons to be learned.

“Corey has certainly been left untrusting of doctors and hospitals, and whilst of course whilst it has been so upsetting for this to have happened to my son, I also saw the absolutely brilliant aftercare they provided to Corey in the weeks he was in intensive care.

“I’m just pleased there have been changes made as a result of what happened to Corey, and hopefully these lessons will be passed on and shared to wider hospital trusts now given bleeding after tonsil removal can happen often.

“We wanted to take legal action as we wanted Corey to have the best possible support for the future, and I wanted lessons to be learned and changes made. That is happening, so it does feel like a positive outcome from all that has happened.”

Dr John Adams, Medical Director at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said "We are pleased to hear that Corey is making good progress and that he has been able to access vital rehabilitation services with the interim payment made by the Trust. We are working with Corey's solicitors to bring the claim to a conclusion as soon as possible".