May 12th, 2009
A hospital has paid a five-figure sum in compensation to a woman who was left with bladder damage after an operation.
Kerry Jones underwent a hysterectomy at Birmingham Women’s Hospital in Edgbaston in September 2004, but was left with a series of problems with her bladder afterwards, the Birmingham Post reports.
She claims that a blunder during surgery perforated the organ, but that an operation was not carried out to repair it until 2007.
Although Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust initially denied that the surgery was carried out incompetently, it has now agreed to a payout as part of an out-of-court settlement.
A spokesperson apologised to Ms Jones and said: "Birmingham Women’s Hospital accepts the care given to Kerry Jones fell short of the hospital’s normal high standard."
According to its website, Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of healthcare services to women and men across the West Midlands and beyond, including pregnancy care and gynaecology. It cares for over 50,000 patients a year.
Tags: Apologised, Birmingham Post, Birmingham Women, Bladder, Blunder, Court Settlement, Damages, Edgbaston, Figure Sum, Foundation Trust, Healthcare Services, Hysterectomy, Kerry Jones, Ms Jones, Nhs, Pregnancy Care, Spokesperson, West Midlands, Women And Men, Women S Hospital
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January 19th, 2009
A woman has been awarded compensation after a seven-year legal battle with an NHS hospital.
Patricia Richards, 61, went to Rochdale Infirmary in September 2001 for a routine operation, the Manchester Evening News reports.
However, her vital signs were not properly monitored while she was under anaesthetic and she suffered brain damage as a result of oxygen deprivation.
Ms Richards has since needed constant care from her husband Robert due to personality changes and difficulties doing everyday tasks.
Pennine Acute NHS Trust has now admitted that its doctors were negligent and the victim will be paid £750,000, plus annual payments of £100,000.
Mr Richards said: "The settlement is a great relief, but no amount of money can compensate for the damage done to Pat."
Clinical negligence occurs when a professional in the health service provides care that is deemed to be below standard and this causes physical injury, death or distress.
Compensation may be claimed as a result, as was the case here.
Tags: 5m, Amount Of Money, Anaesthetic, Blunder, Brain Damage, Clinical Negligence, Constant Care, Everyday Tasks, Health Service, Injury Death, Manchester Evening News, Nhs Hospital, Nhs Trust, Oxygen Deprivation, Patricia Richards, Personality Changes, Rochdale Infirmary, Routine Operation, Vital Signs
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December 22nd, 2008
A woman is taking legal action against a hospital which she says was negligent in its treatment of her injuries.
Patricia Griffiths, 65, fell at her home in November 2005 and was admitted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
Although x-rays showed up a fractured vertebra in her neck, doctors failed to notice damage to some of the others.
She was discharged with a follow-up appointment three months later, but had to be readmitted after only two months due to a dislocated vertebra and partial dislocation of two others.
Ms Griffiths had to have surgery and claims her life has been ruined by the injuries which left her unable to lift with her right arm.
She is suing the hospital for £300,000 for alleged negligence, in that they did not ensure her neck was stable before discharging her.
A spokesperson for Addenbrooke’s refused to comment.
Clinical negligence occurs when a professional in the health service provides care that is judged to be below standard and this causes physical injury, death or distress.
Tags: Addenbrooke S Hospital, Appointment, Blunder, Cambridge, Clinical Negligence, Doctors, Fractured Vertebra, Health Service, Injury Death, Partial Dislocation, Right Arm, Spokesperson, Three Months, Woman, X Ray, X Rays
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November 19th, 2008
A woman who gave birth to a baby despite believing she had been fitted with a contraceptive device has received a compensation payout for her ordeal.
Sarah Moss, now 22, went to Haydock Family Planning Clinic to be fitted with an implant in 2006.
However, in July 2007, she was rushed to hospital after suffering from severe stomach cramps. It was then she found that she was expecting a baby, which she then gave birth to.
The child, who was 18 weeks premature, only survived for just over four hours.
Ms Moss took legal action against St Helens Primary Care Trust (PCT) – which has a workforce of around 2,000 and serves some 300,000 people – in order to gain compensation for her pain and suffering.
The trust has now agreed to an undisclosed out of court settlement and said it was sorry for the distress caused to Ms Moss.
“I wanted the PCT to make sure no one ever has to go through what I went through," said Ms Moss.
Tags: Blunder, Contraception, Contraceptive Device, Court Settlement, Expecting A Baby, Family Planning Clinic, Moss, Ordeal, Pct, Primary Care Trust, Severe Stomach Cramps, St Helens, Suffering From, Woman, Workforce
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October 14th, 2008
A woman who had her healthy gall bladder removed after a hospital blunder could receive hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation should she decide to sue, it has been reported.
The unnamed patient went into St Mary’s Hospital in London – where health minister Lord Ara Darzi works – to have a gynaecological procedure, but was instead taken into an operating theatre where a surgeon carried out the wrong procedure.
Hospital staff have now apologised for the "regrettable error", but claim that the organ would probably have had to be removed at a later date anyway, since it was damaged.
Although the woman has not yet taken any legal action over the incident, should she launch a claim for compensation, it could be worth several hundred thousand pounds, experts said.
Victims of wrong diagnosis and other types of malpractice have a legal right to recover their damages from the hospital if it can be found to be responsible, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and earning capacity, and more.
Tags: Ara Darzi, Blunder, Damages, Gall Bladder, Health Minister, Hospital Staff, Hundred Thousand, Hundreds Of Thousands, London, Malpractice, Medical Expenses, S Hospital, Thousand Pounds, Wages, Woman, Wrong Diagnosis
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