An NHS Trust has apologised for the substandard care received by a London-born underground rapper who died while having treatment aged 49.
Rapper MF Doom, known for songs such as All Caps and Accordion and who worked with maisntream artists such as Gorillaz, died at St James’ Hospital in Leeds in 2020 due to a lack of oxygen in his brain when he had an allergic reaction to a drug prescribed for high blood pressure.
An inquest held into the rapper’s death, whose real name was Dumile Daniel Thompson, heard that there had been “missed opportunities” in his treatment, Leeds Live reported.
Mr Thompson had been suffering from several medical conditions, including kidney failure, when he suffered the allergic reaction.
Wakefield Coroner’s Court heard that a request for a review should have been triggered when Mr Thompson indicated his swelling was getting worse, the publication reported.
“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,” Dr Hamish McLure, Chief Medical Officer at the trust said.
“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 to be used as a teaching topic in a number of different clinical specialties. We also support the coroner’s recommendation for clearer national guidance and awareness in this area.”
According to the publication, the inquest heard Mr Thompson’s condition initially appeared to improve, giving “false reassurance” to medics, but he suddenly deteriorated and collapsed. He was put on a ventilator and died on October 31.
Paying tribute after her husband’s death, the late musician’s wife Jasmine, who also gave evidence at the inquest, said he was “the greatest husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover and friend I could ever ask for.”
