A lawyer died in his sleep after he was allegedly given four days’ worth of insulin in 48 minutes by a faulty medical device.
Paul McNairney, 39, had been using his Omnipod – a wearable insulin pump – after he was given it on the NHS in July.
After the death of the Type 1 diabetic who lived in Glasgow last month, an investigation was launched to investigate the device.
Paul McNairney, 39, died in his sleep after he was allegedly given four days’ worth of insulin in 48 minutes by a faulty medical device
Mr McNairney had been using his Omnipod – a wearable insulin pump – after he was given it on the NHS in July
Lawyers for his family claim Mr McNairney, pictured, had dangerously low blood sugar levels after receiving 75 units of insulin in just under an hour – more than twice the maximum amount Omnipods are supposed to be able to deliver.
Three days later, he was discovered unconscious and his life support system was shut off. His family was informed that he suffered irreversible brain damage.
His husband Scott Craig, 42, has called for the pumps to be withdrawn, saying: ‘This device is used worldwide so people need to know what happened as even a single avoidable death is one too many.’
He added: ‘Paul was intelligent, kind and calm. He could also be a friend with almost anyone and was unusually humble.
After the death of the Type 1 diabetic who lived in Glasgow last month, an investigation into the device has been initiated
‘But as well as the loss it’s the questions that make things worse…
‘Health boards need to stop using Omnipods right now until their integrity, and the safety of users, can be guaranteed.’
A spokesman for Omnipod manufacturer Insulet said that consumer safety was their ‘number one priority’.
The US firm added: ‘Insulet has been made aware of this unfortunate incident and is working with [medical authority]To conduct additional investigation, contact the MHRA.
‘At this point, we do not have evidence of a device malfunction or performance issue.’