A ‘treasured’ grandfather died just days after falling at home and ending up with a small cut between two of his toes.
Christopher Bradbury, 63, from Stoke, Staffordshire, suffered a slice to his right foot on December 28, 2023, and tragically contracted a rare infection that advanced at pace and killed him.
The coroner has now warned more could die of invasive soft tissue infections unless the NHS improves awareness.
Just days later after the seemingly innocuous injury, Mr Bradbury was admitted to the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent, with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting.
Doctors were also told that he had collapsed and noted that he had a lesion on his little toe on his right foot and swelling to his right leg.
Suspecting sepsis, an orthopaedic registrar ordered an urgent MRI scan to discover the cause of the swelling and the lesion – but the test was not done.
Two days later, on 4 January, 2024, he received a consultant review and a diagnosis of Invasive Soft Tissue Infection was made.
Mr Bradbury was now too ill for a MRI scan and was taken instead to theatre for a below the knee amputation.
But he did not recover from the surgery and passed away on January 5, 2024.
‘Treasured’ grandfather Christopher Bradbury died just days after falling at home and sustaining a cut between two toes because of a rare infection
Just days later after the seemingly innocuous injury, Mr Bradbury was admitted to the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent (pictured)
At the inquest, coroner Emma Serrano said while it cannot be known if an MRI would have made a difference to the outcome, it would have meant Mr Bradbury was diagnosed had surgery earlier.
She added that there was a ‘lack of knowledge’ about the infection and more training was needed.
Ms Serrano said: ‘It was accepted in evidence that the issue giving rise to the delay in the MRI scan was down to a lack of knowledge of Severe Invasive Soft Tissue Infections, that are not (but are closely related to) necrotising fasciitis.
‘It was accepted in evidence that there is a lack of national guidelines on this.’
She added: ‘In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken.’
NHS England and Royal Stoke University Hospital have until April 29 to respond to the report.
A funeral notice to Mr Bradbury described him as a ‘much loved husband’ and ‘cherished dad’.
The statement added: ‘Chris will be very fondly remembered and sadly missed by his family and friends.’
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