Disabled woman dies after having all her teeth removed in operation 'without consent'

The mother of a disabled woman who died after having all of her teeth removed by a dentist at an NHS trust claims she did not consent to the operation.

Rachel Johnston, 49, collapsed shortly after being discharged from Kidderminster Hospital following the treatment in October 2018 and was readmitted but died three weeks later.

Her mother Diana Johnston, who has now started a claim for legal negligence, says she wanted only a few of her daughter’s teeth to be removed at a time and feels she was not consulted properly.

She alleged her daughter did not have the capacity to make a decision, and that her concerns should have been taken into account by medical staff.

Ms Johnston, who suffered brain damage after contracting meningitis as a baby, was discharged from hospital just hours after the operation but was later rushed back after suffering from bleeding and breathing difficulties.

She was put on a life support machine but there was nothing more doctors could do for her and she later died on 13 November.

Her mother, from Evesham, Worcestershire, told the BBC she received a phone call from Pirton Grange care home the day after the operation, which said her daughter was unwell.

She told the broadcaster: “She was bleeding quite a bit and her tongue had swollen right up.

“But she was just lying there. It was like there was no life.”

A post-mortem examination found Ms Johnston suffered cerebral hypoxia and aspiration pneumonia after having her teeth out.

A three-day inquest is also expected to take place in August at Stourport Coroner’s Court.

Worcestershire Health and Care Trust, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust and Wyre Forest Clinical Commissioning Group said in a statement to the BBC: “We would like to express our condolences with Ms Johnston’s family for their loss.

“Both trusts have completed internal serious incident reports, which is usual in a case like this, and are also participating in the wider review led by the CCG looking at the care provided by all of the agencies involved.”

The Independent has contacted the three health organisations for a response.