Patient's Fury as GP Flees to India After Negligence Led to Major Stomach Surgery
A woman who required extensive stomach surgery after a negligent GP failed to conduct a proper examination has expressed her profound rage upon discovering the doctor has fled to India. Oriana McDonald, 57, underwent radical surgery to remove a large portion of her abdominal tissue following a misdiagnosis by Dr Nupur Mittal at the Waterfield Practice in Bracknell, Berkshire.
The Fateful Consultation
On July 6, 2018, Oriana visited Dr Mittal after discovering a lump on her stomach and recording a temperature of 36.6°C. The consultation lasted less than two minutes, during which Dr Mittal remained standing at a sink with her back turned to the patient.
'I would have been in the room for two minutes, less than two minutes,' Oriana told the Daily Mail. 'She was able to diagnose me from the other end of the room, with her back to me and said 'antibiotics', 'cellulitis'. I was like, 'you didn't even touch me, take my temperature'. She was not interested in the least.'
Despite Dr Mittal having previous complaints against her and requiring supervision during appointments, no oversight was present during Oriana's consultation. The GP prescribed antibiotics for what she diagnosed as cellulitis, a skin infection.
Rapid Deterioration and Emergency Surgery
Three days later, Oriana's condition worsened significantly. She contacted the practice again and spoke to Dr Mittal by phone, who prescribed another antibiotic without examining her. 'She said, 'I will give you another antibiotic, if it gets any worse you might have to phone the hospital'. She didn't really care, she was definitely not interested at all,' Oriana recalled.
By July 11, 2018, the redness on Oriana's stomach had spread dramatically, she was sweating profusely, and had lost mobility. Her partner, Ian Gale, became increasingly concerned and called for an ambulance. Mr Gale, a wheelchair user who couldn't accompany her to hospital, spoke to a doctor who informed him Oriana was facing 'life or death surgery'.
Medics diagnosed a massive abscess on the abdominal wall with signs of sepsis, suspecting necrotising fasciitis - the rare and life-threatening 'flesh-eating disease'. Oriana underwent radical surgery that removed substantial tissue from her stomach.
'I have got a scar going from my hip bone to my hip bone, from left to right to left, it took over a year to heal completely,' she said, adding that the extensive scarring makes wearing clothes difficult and causes ongoing self-consciousness.
Legal Battle and Doctor's Flight
Two years after the traumatic event, Oriana decided to pursue compensation against Dr Mittal. 'I was just happy to be alive and coping and then I was talking with Ian and I was like, 'I'm not happy unless she is struck off', because I did not want it to happen to anybody else,' she explained. 'We wanted to save anyone else from what I have gone through, the next one might have been dead.'
The couple instructed BLV Law solicitors and launched a civil medical negligence claim against Dr Mittal. The doctor failed to respond to any correspondence or attend court proceedings. In her absence, the court awarded Oriana £128,204.30 in damages, legal costs, and interest, finding Dr Mittal liable for medical negligence that caused Oriana's injuries.
Only when attempting to secure the debt against Dr Mittal's Reading home did the couple discover she had left the UK for India. Dr Mittal's husband, also a GP, objected to the debt enforcement, revealing his wife's relocation.
'I did feel a bit of rage towards her,' Oriana admitted upon learning of the doctor's departure. 'If she had just diagnosed this in the first place I would have had a two-inch scar.'
Ian Gale added: 'She was just burying her head in the sand, she was just hiding from everything and running away from it. A doctor doing their job, I know they are very busy, they haven't always got the time, but when they do get to see a patient, they need to see that patient.'
Regulatory Action and Current Status
Dr Mittal now runs the Ambala Wellness Clinic in northern India, which promotes her '20 years of international experience in the UK.' When contacted for comment, she stated she is appealing the case against her.
The General Medical Council (GMC) has taken significant regulatory action against Dr Mittal. She had interim restrictions placed on her practice since February 2016, which were replaced with an interim suspension following an interim orders tribunal in June 2024. This suspension prevents her from practising or treating patients.
At a further tribunal hearing on November 21, 2023, the interim suspension was ordered to remain in place, subject to review. A GMC spokesman confirmed: 'The GMC is investigating Dr Nupur Mittal. While this is ongoing Dr Mittal is interim suspended, which means she cannot treat patients.'
The case highlights serious concerns about medical oversight, patient safety, and accountability within the healthcare system, particularly when practitioners facing serious allegations can relocate internationally while investigations continue.
