Widow calls for answers over husband’s brain tumour treatment after concerns raised about chemotherapy care at UHCW

Trevor Wilkinson died in November 2022 following months of radiotherapy and Temozolomide chemotherapy for a brain tumour. His wife, Anne, says that he experienced severe adverse effects from the outset but treatment continued without a balanced discussion of the risks, alternatives or impact on his quality of life and without further review by the consultant overseeing his care.

His experience was far from an isolated complaint. Currently, we're handling more than 40 cases and family accounts concerning alleged failures in brain tumour care at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW), including inappropriate or prolonged chemotherapy, inadequate consent, limited clinical oversight and weaknesses in medicines governance. The concerns span more than two decades and have prompted regulatory investigations, an independent review and in a separate case, the Trust's first formal admission of liability.

Supported by Stratford-on-Avon MP Manuela Perteghella, Anne is seeking a full and transparent account of Trevor's treatment, clarity on how the wider pattern was allowed to develop and assurance that affected families will be informed and supported. She appeared on ITV News on 25 August 2026 to tell her story. Our Partner and Head of Clinical Negligence & Serious Injury, Fiona Tinsley, also appeared in the segment to address this pattern of harm among brain tumour patients. "We anticipate that there are hundreds of patients who have been under [Professor Ian Brown's] care, who think that they were receiving the right treatment, who think that he was acting in their best interests, when all along he was actually causing avoidable harm", Fiona said.

Trevor's chemotherapy treatment

Trevor Wilkinson was in his early 70s when he underwent surgery at Southampton General Hospital to remove a brain tumour in early 2022. Following the operation, he was referred to UHCW for oncology treatment closer to home.

Trevor’s wife, Anne says the family understood the proposed 'belts and braces' treatment, combining radiotherapy with the chemotherapy drug Temozolomide, could potentially cure the disease. However, she says that they were not given a balanced discussion about the risks and benefits, alternative treatment choices, the likely impact on Trevor's quality of life or the option of palliative care.

From March 2022, Anne says Trevor's condition deteriorated rapidly. After the first course of chemotherapy he suffered severe side effects, leading to repeated 999 callouts and multiple emergency hospital admissions. As treatment continued, he became wheelchair-dependent, struggled to eat, experienced constant pain, became incontinent and was deeply distressed.

Anne also says Trevor's chemotherapy dose was not adjusted to reflect his age and that, despite the severity of his reaction, treatment continued. She says that he was not seen again by the consultant overseeing his care and that key decisions and prescriptions were largely managed through an oncology nurse specialist, with the family repeatedly told that there was no need for a further consultant review.

Trevor died in Anne's arms on 4 November 2022, three weeks after his final dose of Temozolomide.

Anne discovers concerns about Temozolomide through the media  

Anne says that she later discovered by chance, through media reports, that concerns had emerged about the use of Temozolomide at UHCW. She says that left her questioning why the family had not been proactively contacted and whether opportunities had been missed to review Trevor's treatment and whether a different approach could have reduced his suffering in the final months of his life.

Anne and her late husband’s experiences of tumour care at UHCW are far from an isolated case. We're representing more than 40 current and former patients and families whose cases also include allegations of prolonged or otherwise inappropriate Temozolomide treatment, inadequate consent, limited consultant oversight and wider failures in clinical and medicines governance. The cases span more than two decades and have resulted in reports of serious physical, psychological and financial harm.

In a one such case that we brought on behalf of patient Michael Grady, UHCW has admitted that adequate consent was not obtained for prolonged chemotherapy and accepted a causal link between the overprescription of Temozolomide and the harm he suffered. 

Demanding an explanation

While Anne has not appointed us to represent her in any legal action against the Trust, her work with us has been motivated by the opportunity to advocate for other patients affected by the scandal, educating them about her experiences rather than seeking any kind of financial compensation. Anne is also being supported by Manuela Perteghella, MP for Stratford-upon-Avon, who wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on her behalf in May 2026 to outline Trevor's experience and seek clarity on treatment protocols, consent, medicines governance and the support being offered to affected patients and families.

Anne now wants a clear explanation of how treatment was allowed to continue despite signs of harm, whether Trevor and his family were given enough information to make informed choices, and what safeguards are now in place to prevent similar experiences in future.

Brabners believes there may be further patients and families affected by similar issues who have not yet come forward or may not yet realise that their care forms part of the wider pattern now under investigation.

Anne said: "Trevor put his trust in the people treating him and so did I. We believed the treatment was giving him a chance but instead I watched him become weaker, more distressed and lose the independence and dignity that mattered so much to him. 

What is hardest to live with is not knowing whether things could have been different, whether he could have been spared some of that suffering or whether he could have made different choices if we had been given a full and balanced explanation.

I cannot change what happened to Trevor but I do need honest answers. This isn’t about financial compensation — no amount of money can bring Trevor back. But I want to understand why his treatment continued, why we were not contacted when concerns came to light and what is being done to make sure other families are properly informed and supported."

Fiona said: “Trevor’s case raises serious questions about consent, clinical oversight and the way treatment decisions were made and reviewed. His condition deteriorated significantly, yet treatment continued without the family being given the balanced discussion they needed about risks, alternatives and quality of life. 

Every patient and family affected by these concerns deserves an individual, timely and transparent explanation. These are not simply administrative issues — they go to the heart of informed consent, patient safety and dignity at the end of life.

Where concerns have been identified, patients and families should not be left to discover them by chance or piece together answers for themselves. The Trust and the bodies reviewing these matters must ensure that potentially affected patients and families are identified, informed and supported and that clear safeguards are in place for the future.”

Talk to us

If you’re a current or former patient and have concerns about your treatment, we can help you to understand what went wrong and how to seek justice.

As the leading national firm in uncovering and addressing negligence in these cases relating to brain tumours and neurosurgery care, our specialist team provides:

• Full review of tumour pathology, scan interpretation and neurosurgical decision-making.
• Expert opinions from neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, neuro-oncologists and neuropathologists.
• Explanation of what went wrong and where errors occurred.
• Guidance through NHS complaints and legal claims.
• Support in securing compensation for the physical, emotional and financial impact.

You can speak to us confidentially for free, no-obligation advice. We can also come to meet you wherever you’re located.

We offer a free initial consultation and most claims proceed under a ‘No Win, No Fee’ agreement.

Taking the first step can make all the difference. You can contact our team (Fiona and Becky) directly or fill out our contact form and we'll be in touch.

Find out more about chemotherapy negligence and brain and spinal tumour negligence, as well as how to make a claim.