An 80-year-old pensioner, Nic Olsen, has had both his legs amputated following a four-year delay in diagnosing peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a common circulatory condition. Despite attending 29 medical appointments and undergoing numerous tests, doctors failed to perform a simple Doppler scan that would have identified the problem early enough to prevent amputation. His case highlights a significant diagnostic failure, as the condition affects one in five people over 60 and is readily diagnosable with a straightforward test.

The diagnostic delay proved catastrophic: Mr Olsen's initial symptoms—pain, swelling, and hairlessness on his lower legs—were classic signs of PAD, yet he was given various treatments including cholesterol tablets, insoles, and advice to walk more. Instead of the simple Doppler test, he received MRI scans, X-rays and blood tests over four years. By the time PAD was finally diagnosed following a toe emergency during a holiday, the condition was too advanced to treat successfully. His total care has cost the NHS approximately £1 million; had the condition been caught early, an angioplasty procedure costing around £1,000 may have saved his legs.