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Princess Diana's doctor admits his failings led to death of patient

Dr Peter Wheeler (R), who has admitted breach of duty in his treatment of Stefanos Vavalidis - Anthony Upton
Dr Peter Wheeler (R), who has admitted breach of duty in his treatment of Stefanos Vavalidis - Anthony Upton

The former private physician to Diana, Princess of Wales has admitted a catalogue of serious failings which led to the premature death of a top City banker.

Dr Peter Wheeler, who officially identified Diana’s body after she was killed in Paris, and has treated the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Kent, has admitted Stefanos Vavalidis would have lived another 18 months if not for his mistakes.

The private physician is facing a damages claim of £300,000 in connection with the death of Mr Vavalidis, a leading figure in European banking.

Mr Vavalidis’s widow, Barbara, claims that her husband’s death from liver failure at the age of 69 was caused by Dr Wheeler’s negligent prescription of a potentially dangerous drug.

Dr Wheeler – who works from a private practice in Knightsbridge and has treated celebrities such as Nigella Lawson and the actor Anthony Andrews  – prescribed Mr Vavalidis with the cancer drug methotrexate between May 2003 and 2015 to treat the skin condition psoriasis.

But, according to a writ lodged with the High Court, the drug severely damaged the banker’s liver and over the years his health worsened dramatically, until his immune system began to shut down, leading to his death from cirrhosis of the liver, with pneumonia and renal infection at University College Hospital in London, in January 2016.

Stefanos Vavalidis, whose family are suing Dr Peter Wheeler over his death - Credit: Family photograph
Stefanos Vavalidis, whose family are suing Dr Peter Wheeler over his death Credit: Family photograph

Mrs Vavalidis claimed methotrexate toxicity was to blame for her husband’s death and accused Dr Wheeler of failing to ensure he was properly monitored for his long-term use of the drug.

Now Dr Wheeler has admitted he was in breach of his duty as a doctor by failing to properly monitor Mr Vavalidis’ use of methotrexate and failing to follow up apparent complication in his patient’s condition.

In a defence to Mrs Vavalidis’ writ against Dr Wheeler his London-based solicitors Nabarro LLP admit he “was aware that the drug may be associated with liver toxicity” and that he would have lived for at least a year and a half longer had he been treated properly.

They state: “It is admitted that, but for [Dr Wheeler’s] admitted breach of duty, methotrexate would have been stopped by no later than around 2009/2010 in response to the low platelet counts which would have been deleted at or around that time, had the count been monitored.”

They go on to admit: “The presence of a low platelet count would or should have led to further investigations which would have revealed liver cirrhosis. Had the methotrexate been stopped at or around that time then, given [Mr Vavalidis’s] condition and his comorbidities (obesity and diabetes) he would still have died of liver failure. However the rate of progression of the liver disease would have been reduced and death would have been delayed by around 18 months.”

Dr Wheeler is regarded as one of the most respected private physicians practicing in London.

His admissions will shock both his colleagues in the profession and the many patients who have passed through the doors of his exclusive private clinic, the Sloane Street Surgery.

Mr Vavalidis’s widow and their two sons Alexander, 32, and Philip, 27, say the former director of the National Bank of Greece “suffered gravely” before his death as a result of the treatment he received from Dr Wheeler.

As a result of the methotrexate damaging his liver his health worsened until he found stairs difficult to climb and had to fit a ramp to his holiday home in Greece. The banker’s family say his condition deteriorated so much that at one stage he wanted to move from their four-storey townhouse in Chelsea to a flat with a lift.