Woman Wins Medical Negligence Case After GP Fails to Examine Her Leading to Life Threatening Surgery in Bracknell

When Oriana McDonald walked into the Waterfield Practice in Bracknell on July 6, 2018, she expected what most of us expect from a GP visit — a proper look, a few questions, maybe an examination.

She had found a lump on her stomach and felt uneasy about it.

Her temperature was normal at 36.6C, but something didn’t feel right.

Instead, she says the consultation lasted less than two minutes.

The doctor, Dr Nupur Mittal, remained at the sink across the room the entire time. No physical examination.

No temperature check. No closer look at the lump.

According to Oriana, the diagnosis — cellulitis — was delivered from a distance, along with a prescription for antibiotics.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she later said. “She didn’t even touch me.”

That brief encounter would spiral into a life-threatening ordeal.

When Antibiotics Weren’t Enough

Three days later, Oriana’s condition had worsened.

The redness on her stomach was spreading.

She was sweating heavily and struggling to move.

Alarmed, she phoned the practice again and spoke to Dr Mittal over the phone.

Another antibiotic was prescribed. If things got worse, she was told, she might need to call the hospital.

But things did get worse — fast.

By July 11, her partner Ian Gale, a wheelchair user, could see she was in serious trouble.

He called for an ambulance.

While he couldn’t physically get to the hospital himself, he received a chilling update from doctors: Oriana was facing “life or death surgery.”

A Diagnosis Far More Serious Than Expected

At hospital, doctors discovered a massive abscess on Oriana’s abdominal wall, with signs of sepsis — a potentially fatal response to infection.

There were even fears she may have developed necrotising fasciitis, sometimes referred to as the “flesh-eating disease,” a rare but aggressive infection that destroys tissue rapidly.

She underwent radical surgery. A large amount of tissue had to be removed to stop the infection from spreading.

The result was a scar stretching from one hip bone to the other.

It took more than a year to fully heal. Even now, she says, it affects what she wears and how she feels about her body.

“If it had been caught earlier,” she said, “I would probably have had a two-inch scar.”

Anger, Survival and the Decision to Act

For two years after the surgery, Oriana focused on something simple: staying alive and rebuilding her strength.

Legal action wasn’t at the forefront of her mind. Survival was.

But as time passed, anger crept in.

She and Ian began discussing what had happened — not just in terms of personal trauma, but the possibility that it could happen to someone else.

“I didn’t want the next person to die,” she said.

They instructed solicitors at BLV Law and brought a civil medical negligence claim against Dr Mittal.

The doctor, however, did not respond to correspondence and did not appear in court.

In her absence, the court ruled in Oriana’s favour.

She was awarded £128,204.30, covering damages, legal costs and interest.

The judgment found that Dr Mittal had failed to properly diagnose her condition, and that failure led directly to her injuries.

The Shock Discovery

The case took another turn when Oriana and Ian tried to secure the debt against Dr Mittal’s home in Reading.

It was then they discovered she had left the UK for India.

Her husband, also a GP, responded to object to the enforcement action.

Learning that the doctor had relocated abroad left Oriana furious.

“It felt like she was running away,” Ian said. “Just burying her head in the sand.”

Dr Mittal has since stated that she is appealing the case.

Regulatory Action and Ongoing Investigation

The situation doesn’t end with the civil judgment.

The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates doctors in the UK, has been investigating Dr Mittal.

She had been practising under interim restrictions since February 2016.

However, in June 2024, following an interim orders tribunal at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, those restrictions were escalated to an interim suspension.

That means she cannot treat patients while the investigation continues.

A further tribunal hearing in November 2025 ordered that the suspension remain in place, pending review.

A GMC spokesperson confirmed that Dr Mittal is currently suspended and unable to practise medicine in the UK while the investigation is ongoing.

The Bigger Picture on Medical Negligence

Cases like Oriana’s highlight the wider issue of medical negligence claims in the UK.

According to NHS data, thousands of claims are filed each year, often involving delayed diagnoses.

Sepsis, in particular, has become a growing focus of awareness campaigns across Britain, as early detection is critical to survival.

Necrotising fasciitis, while rare, can progress at frightening speed.

Public health bodies repeatedly stress that rapidly spreading redness, severe pain, fever and systemic illness should always be treated urgently.

Oriana’s story underscores what can happen when early warning signs are missed.

What’s Next?

Several strands are still unfolding.

• Dr Mittal is appealing the civil judgment against her.

• The GMC investigation remains ongoing, and her suspension will be periodically reviewed.

• Efforts to recover the awarded compensation may continue, depending on the outcome of enforcement proceedings.

For Oriana and Ian, the legal battle may not yet be fully over.

But emotionally, their focus remains on accountability — and preventing similar experiences for other patients.

As Ian put it, doctors are busy, yes.

But when a patient is in the room, that moment matters.

Summary

Oriana McDonald required life-saving surgery after a GP consultation in 2018 allegedly failed to properly examine or diagnose a serious abdominal infection.

What began as a brief appointment in Bracknell escalated into sepsis, radical surgery and a permanent scar.

A court later ruled in her favour, awarding more than £128,000 in damages after Dr Nupur Mittal did not respond to the medical negligence claim.

The doctor has since relocated to India and is appealing the judgment.

Meanwhile, the General Medical Council has suspended Dr Mittal pending an ongoing investigation.

For Oriana, the case is about more than compensation — it is about accountability, patient safety and ensuring that what happened to her does not happen to someone else.