GP thought grandad already knew the truth when he let it slip on phone call

William Chapman died eight months after doctors failed to tell him he was terminally ill

Doctors failed to tell a father-of-seven he was terminally ill and instead said he would be OK, an investigation has found. William Chapman, known as Syd, only discovered he had deadly pulmonary fibrosis when his GP – who thought he already knew his prognosis – mentioned it during a phone call. Mr Chapman died eight months later.

Now, an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has found that doctors at the Countess of Chester Hospital showed a “worrying lack of accountability” and failed to keep proper records, engage fully with Mr Chapman’s family or learn from mistakes.

Mr Chapman, 58, from Upton in Wirral was a grandfather of 16 and died in 2022. He was admi