Nicola Fisher underwent a gastric sleeve operation at Spire Washington Hospital and developed a leak from her stomach as a consequence.
Following emergency NHS surgery in June 2023, less than two days after her discharge from Spire Washington Hospital, Nicola underwent several more rounds of surgery at Sunderland Royal Hospital over the following seven months due to ongoing complications.
Sadly, Nicola died from multi-organ failure in January 2024, aged 54. She left behind beloved husband Peter, parents Fred and Marie, and dog Bobby.
Nicola, managing director of French Beauty Expert, was a highly respected name in the UK beauty scene. From her business HQ in Sunderland, she oversaw UK brand management of Matis Paris, and UK distribution of brands including Fake Bake, Phyt’s, Bionatural, Smooth Synergy, Clinisept and Clinisoothe.
At the inquest into her death, held at Sunderland Coroner’s Court, it was revealed that appropriate observations were not done by nurses at Spire Washington Hospital before her discharge, and medications were not given as expected. Nicola’s pre-discharge blood test results were also not checked prior to discharge.
Karin Welsh, assistant coroner, branded these failures “woeful” and said it had hampered her attempts to understand Nicola’s health at the time of her discharge, and establish whether there were missed opportunities to identify the leak and operate prior to her developing extensive infection in her abdomen.
“I rather suspect there is a perception in the general public that paying for treatment at a private hospital results in a quicker and better standard of care…this was not the case for Nicola,” Ms Welsh concluded.