Leeds hospital trust apologises for ‘not to standard’ care after death of rapper MF Doom

An NHS trust has issued an apology for providing “not to the standard” care to rapper MF Doom, after the rap icon died in its care three years ago.

The hugely influential underground star, whose real name was Dumile Daniel Thompson, died on October 31 2020 at Leeds’ St James Hospital at the age of 49.

At the time of his death, Thompson was suffering from an array of conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart failure, Hepatitis B and kidney failure. An inquest found he died due to a “rare” reaction to medication he was taking for blood pressure.

Now, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which operates the hospital where Thompson died, has admitted there were “missed opportunities” in the treatment of the rapper.

“I would like to offer our sincere condolences to Daniel’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time. I apologise that the care he received was not to the standard we would expect,” Dr Hamish McLure, the trust’s Chief Medical Officer said.

“Following his sad death we undertook a serious incident investigation, and the report has been shared with Daniel’s family.

“As a result we have put in place a number of actions and the wider learning from what happened to be used as a teaching topic in a number of different clinical specialties. We also support the coroner’s recommendation for clearer national guidance and awareness in this area.”

According to an inquest, Thompson died while undergoing treatment for angioedema, which often causes sudden swelling triggered by an allergic reaction. His throat, tongue and lips are all said to have became swollen after receiving medicine to level his blood pressure.

The rapper is said to have been living in the Roundhay area of Leeds and was registered at a GP, but doctors were unable to access his previous medical records due to data protection issues.

He suffered from breathing problems in late October 2020 after being prescribed new medication and went to A&E. While his condition initially improved after receiving adrenaline and steroids, it later deteriorated and he collapsed before being placed on a ventilator on 31 October.

Joining the inquest via video link from the US was Thompson’s wife Jasmine Dumile, who raised concerns over her husband’s treatment. She was unable to visit him in the UK due to Covid travel restrictions, but hailed her husband as “a wonderful, talented man taken too soon and missed by everyone”.

In the wake of his passing, tributes flooded in from luminaries such as Danger Mouse and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke – who shared a remix of DOOM’s ‘Gazzillion Ear’ in tribute to the star.

A street block in Long Beach, New York, was also renamed in his memory.