Despite Dianette increasing the risk of a clot five times more than normal, surgeons at Selly Oak Hospital believed it was best for continue taking it as they thought an unwanted pregnancy would be a more dangerous risk for deep vein thrombosis.
The inquest also heard Amanda complained to a nurse at Woodgate Valley Health Centre days after surgery that she was having breathing problems, a classic symptom of a blood clot, but she was not referred to a doctor.
Now the family is left tearful when thinking of Amanda’s hopes and dreams. The former Woodgate Junior and Bartley Senior School pupil planned to become a nursery teacher and was taking a childcare course at Matthew Boulton College, paying for it through work with firm We Are Cleaners.
She had spent 13 yearys with her partner Steven and was hoping to have another child once the varicose vein surgery was out of the way.
Dad Graham Hopkins, 52, a former Rover engineer who now works at Texaco garage in Woodgate, said: “When Amanda passed away I thought it was strange, so soon after the operation. I had lots of questions and although the inquest has answered a lot of them, I still feel sceptical about the care she received. I think some people made the wrong decisions.
“I know Amanda complained twice that she was out of breath, a classic sign of a blood clot, but nothing was done, her blood pressure and heart rate were not even checked and instead she was booked in for an asthma clinic on the day she died. They were totally off the mark.
“Then there was evidence that her GP told her to stop taking Dianette weeks before surgery to reduce the risk of a clot but the surgeons at Selly Oak felt it was best she kept taking it. There shouldn’t be those discrepancies.
“Coroner Aidan Cotter actually came to see us after the inquest and shook my hand, saying how sorry he was.”
Graham added: “My wife and I have been together for 35 years and this is the hardest thing we have ever had to face.”
Family solicitor Victoria Blankstone, from law firm Irwin Mitchell, said Mr and Mrs Hopkins had instructed her to gather evidence for a civil lawsuit against staff at Woodgate Valley Health Centre and Selly Oak Hospital. “From the evidence we have seen and that which we have heard at the inquest as to how Amanda came by her death, we believe that this tragedy could have been avoided,” said Ms Blankstone.
“The safety of patients has to be paramount and if things could have been done differently which would ultimately have prevented Amanda’s death, then the family are keen to ensure that lessons are learned by all those involved.”
Medical staff at Woodgate Valley Health Centre said they felt Amanda’s breathing problems days before her death were not due to the clot and they did adequate checks at the time.
Dr Rajeev Vohra, consultant surgeon at Selly Oak Hospital, said the hospital’s policy to allow women to continue taking contraceptive drugs such as Dianette when undergoing an operation followed recommendations by surgery research fellows.
