Former Royal Oldham Hospital doctor jailed for manslaughter of patient

A former doctor from Oldham has been jailed for three years for the manslaughter by gross negligence of one of his patients.

Isyaka Mamman, 85, of Royton, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday (5 July) after pleading guilty, at an earlier hearing, to the manslaughter of 48-year-old Shahida Parveen.

Prosecutors told the court that Shahida had died shortly after a diagnostic procedure performed by Mamman in the Haematology Unit of Royal Oldham Hospital on Monday 3 September 2018.

Following her death, a consultant provided an expert opinion that the procedure – a bone marrow biopsy via the sternum – had been inappropriately and incompetently performed.

Mammam has not worked for the Northern Care Alliance since the tragic incident in September 2018 and was suspended from the medical register in June 2022.

The NCA says that Mamman should ‘never have attempted a bone marrow biopsy via the sternum without first seeking consultant input’, adding that he had ‘the relevant experience and seniority to carry out a standard bone marrow aspirate or bone marrow trephine biopsy via the pelvis without supervision’.

Mamman was previously suspended from the medical register for a period of 12 months in November 2005 due to concerns around his date of birth. Following the lifting of his suspension by the General Medical Council in 2006, Mamman was reinstated to the Medical Register and free to apply to the trust.

Previous concerns had been raised in 2015 in respect of Mamman’s clinical practice. These concerns were investigated in line with the usual processes in place at the trust. No restrictions were placed on Mamman’s practice as a result, and he had no restrictions on his practice at the time of the incident in 2018.

Dr Chris Brookes, Group Chief Doctor and Deputy Chief Executive for the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which runs The Royal Oldham Hospital, said: “We wish again to offer our sincerest condolences to Mrs Parveen’s family and friends and we are deeply sorry for their loss. We would like to reiterate our sincere apology previously provided to Mrs Parveen’s family. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to them.

“Following Mrs Parveen’s death in September 2018, the trust launched a thorough internal investigation to examine the circumstances leading up to and following this tragic incident. The trust implemented improvements following investigation which were shared with Mrs Parveen's family.

“The trust has admitted liability in relation to a civil claim brought by the family.

“The trust has liaised closely with Greater Manchester Police throughout their investigation and the subsequent legal proceedings concerning Dr Mamman.”

Detective Inspector Rachel Smith, of GMP's Major Incident Team, said: "It is tragic that someone who attended the hospital for a diagnostic procedure to plan their treatment and, ultimately, make them feel better ended up dying at the hands of a doctor. Our thoughts remain with the victim's family and loved ones.

"The vast majority of doctors are highly qualified professionals with the skills required to provide excellent care to their patients. Mamman, on the other hand, completely disregarded the basic and in-depth knowledge expected of a medic.

"This prosecution, on which we worked closely with the CPS, will ensure that, going forwards, no patients are put at risk of harm by Mamman."