Leeds hospital trust apologises to MF DOOM’s family for substandard care he received prior to his death
The NHS trust has acknowledged that there were “missed opportunities” during his treatment
Leeds Teaching Hospitals, an NHS Trust that runs St. James University Hospital, has apologised to MF DOOM’s family after being questioned about the quality of the rapper’s care prior to his death.
MF DOOM – whose real name was Dumile Daniel Thompson – died suddenly on 31st October 2020, aged 49, after being hospitalised with an adverse reaction to blood pressure medication. His wife Jasmine Dumile confirmed that her partner died from the condition known as angioedema, a rare and severe reaction which caused his “throat and tongue to swell,” Leeds Live reported.
At an inquest heard last week, she expressed a “number of concerns” about the care he received while in the Leeds hospital, including two-hour delays in administering medication for Dumile’s swollen throat and infrequent checks on her husband from medical staff.
The inquest additionally heard that DOOM’s medical records could not be accessed by the Leeds hospital because they were held in London where he formerly resided, with Mrs Dumile claiming that it was this negligence that led to MF DOOM’s eventual passing.
On Thursday (7th July), the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust acknowledged there had been “missed opportunities” during MF DOOM’s treatment, apologising to his wife and family for the substandard care he received.
According to The Guardian, Assistant coroner Janine Wolstenholme said that doctors were given a “false reassurance” when DOOM’s health appeared to improve, but should have escalated checks once he declared the swelling in his throat, tongue, and lips were getting worse. She also said that the care plan drawn up by the hospital was not sufficiently detailed, but added that it’s impossible to say whether his collapse could have been avoided.
While MF DOOM’s reaction to the blood pressure medication was a “rare event”, Wolstenholme acknowledged that angioedema was more common in smokers and people of African-Caribbean descent. Thompson was described as a “moderate smoker.”
The Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust has issued a statement following the inquest. Dr Hamish McLure, its chief medical officer, said: “I would like to offer our sincere condolences to Daniel’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time. I apologise 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. We also support the coroner’s recommendation for clearer national guidance and awareness in this area.”
MF DOOM was one of hip-hop’s most distinctive MCs and producers, and part of the American hip-hop duo Madvillain alongside Madlib. It was revealed shortly after DOOM died that the anticipated sequel to his and Madlib's 2004 album ‘Madvillainy’ was “85% done” at the time of the artist’s death.
