Young doctor 'failed to spot deadly blood loss'

A YOUNG doctor failed to spot that a patient had lost more than half of her blood just hours before she died, an inquiry has heard.

Dr Kate Mitchell, 28, had only six months' experience and had been left in charge just a handful of times when she was the on-call doctor for Marlene Wightman, an inquiry at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday.

Mrs Wightman, 47, died from blood loss following a breast cancer operation in March 2006 at the Western General Hospital.

Dr Mitchell had never dealt with a breast surgery patient before that night and failed to take the woman's size into account when considering her blood loss, the inquiry heard.

Dr Mitchell admitted that she did not appreciate the seriousness of the operation Mrs Wightman had undergone earlier that day.

The doctor said she looked to nurses caring for Mrs Wightman for reassurance after the patient – who weighed just 48kg – lost almost one-and-a-half litres of fluids from surgical wounds.

The inquiry continues.