February 18th, 2011
In February 2008 *Doreen*underwent bowel obstruction surgery in South Yorkshire. She was then discharged and put under the care of District Nurses. While her wound was care for and attended to regularly Doreen was initially bed bound and her pressure areas were not checked or managed.
In May 2008 it was discovered that Doreen was suffering from a necrotic right heel ulcer by her GP. This reached the stage whereby Doreen had to be re-admitted to hospital in June 2008 with sepsis in the heel, in addition to septic arthritis of the right knee. It was felt that it would be too risky to operate on Doreen and her treatment was conservative.
Doreen was referred to the Orthotics department to get a heel lift and relieve pressure when walking.
Doreen then started to suffer skin tears and further pressure sores on her buttocks. Her condition continued to gradually worsen and led to her death in July 2008.
Doreen’s daughter contacted Anna Renfree, clinical negligence specialist at Pryers in November 2008 and we started to investigate the claim. She entered into a ‘no win no fee’ agreement to fund the case.
A letter of claim was served on the Defendant in May 2010 and in November 2010 the Defendant responded, admitting that they were in breach of their duty of care but denying that this led to Doreen’s death. The Defendant offered £7,500 to settle.
Anna then worked with our in house microbiology expert, Dr Kirwan, who advised that Doreen had suffered from a bacterial infection which had provided an entry point for infection. Swabs of the pressure sore on the heal showed Klebsiella Pneumoniae culture and Doreen’s principle cause of death was recorded as pneumonia.
We returned to the Defendant with this evidence and asked them to re-consider our original offer of £20,000. They agreed to this, which Doreen’s daughter was pleased to accept.
The Defendant also paid all of the client’s legal costs so they had nothing to pay during or after the case and she received 100% of her damages for her mother’s estate.
Tags: Bacterial Infection, Bowel Obstruction, Buttocks, Cause Of Death, Clinical Negligence, Defendant, District Nurses, Doreen, Dr Kirwan, Duty Of Care, Pneumonia, Pressure Areas, Pressure Sores, Principle Cause, Sepsis, Septic Arthritis, Skin Tears, South Yorkshire, Swabs, Ulcer
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July 23rd, 2009
A man has been paid compensation from an NHS trust after he was subjected to worrying delays in the treatment of his heart condition.
Mr M, as he is known for legal reasons, went into Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil after a suspected heart attack in November 2006, BBC News reports.
However, Mr M was not sent for an angiogram, which he claims was vital since there was a history of heart disease in his family.
After returning to the hospital in 2007 and being unsatisfied with his treatment, he went to another hospital and was given a triple heart bypass.
Mr M complained that the delayed angiogram had put him in constant fear of a fatal heart attack and that the "mishandled" care had caused him great stress.
The ombudsman upheld the complaint and has ordered Cwm Taf NHS Trust to pay the patient £2,000 in compensation for the suffering he was caused.
According to statistics published by the British Heart Foundation, diseases of the heart and circulatory system are the main cause of death in the UK, accounting for some 198,000 deaths every year.
Tags: Angiogram, British Heart Foundation, Cause Of Death, Circulatory System, Constant Fear, Deaths Every Year, Diseases Of The Heart, Fatal Heart, Heart Attack, Heart Condition, Heart Disease, Heart Diseases, Heart Treatment, History Of Heart Disease, Nhs Trust, Ombudsman, Prince Charles, Prince Charles Hospital, Triple Heart Bypass, Unsatisfied
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June 9th, 2009
The parents of a man who committed suicide after escaping from a high-risk mental health unit are demanding an investigation.
Jonathan Lowbridge, 20, had suffered from mental health problems for years and had been admitted to Prospect Park Hospital in Tilehurst for his own protection on May 21st, the Reading Post reports.
However, he got out and was found hanging in the woods by a passer-by on May 23rd.
"We were assured he was safe. They have expressed sympathy but there is negligence here. Our boy is dead now because someone let him get out," said his father Michael Lowbridge.
A spokesperson for the hospital said that it is working with the Thames Valley Police to establish the events leading up to the man’s death.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, suicide remains the most common cause of death in men under the age of 35, with men three times more likely to take their own lives than women.
Tags: Cause Of Death, Common Cause Of Death, Jonathan, Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Problems, Mental Health Unit, Negligence, Parents, Prospect Park, Reading Post, Spokesperson, Suicide, Sympathy, Thames Valley Police, Three Times
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April 3rd, 2009
A family is seeking the advice of clinical negligence solicitors after a grandfather became the 14th person to die from a superbug at a British hospital.
John Saunders, 66, was admitted to Eastbourne District General Hospital to have a blood clot removed, the Mirror reports.
His official cause of death was pneumonia, but the superbug Clostrodium difficile (C difficile) was listed as a significant contributing factor.
Jane Stanfield, Mr Saunders’ daughter, said the family is shocked and angry, particularly after hospital chief executive Kim Hodgson declared wards safe.
"I went in to see him just hours before he died and he was struggling to breathe and really uncomfortable. A lot more could have been done for him," she commented.
A spokesperson for the hospital said it would investigate if the family wishes to contact its staff.
It was reported last month that 62 cases of the bacteria have been noted at Eastbourne District General Hospital since January and a total of 14 people have now died there as a result.
Tags: Bacteria, Blood Clot, Cause Of Death, Chief Executive, Clinical Negligence Solicitors, Compensation Claim, Contact, District General Hospital, Eastbourne District General Hospital, Hodgson, John Saunders, Mirror, Mr Saunders, Pneumonia, Spokesperson, Stanfield, Superbug, Wards
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March 9th, 2009
The family of a man who had his stroke misdiagnosed three times and subsequently died is to receive compensation for the loss.
Jeffery Wingrove, 48, fell ill on December 9th 2006 with severe vomiting and headaches.
His wife, Isabelle, 52, called her GP, but it was the weekend and she was forwarded to an out-of-hours service. Staff there failed to diagnose the stroke and refused a home visit.
By 21:00 GMT that night, Mr Wingrove’s condition had worsened and his wife called paramedics, who diagnosed vertigo and said he did not need to be taken to hospital.
However, at 14:30 GMT the following day, Mr Wingrove had fallen out of bed and had begun hallucinating. He was rushed to Broomfield Hospital and then transferred to the neurosurgical ward at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, but died the next day.
Mrs Wingrove said that had her husband fallen ill on a weekday, he would still be alive.
"All they had to do was come and see him, which my usual GP would have done at the drop of a hat. But it was too much trouble for them," she added.
The family has now been awarded a six-figure sum of compensation by the East of England Ambulance Service and the GP involved.
According to the NHS, a stroke is caused by a disturbance of blood supply to the brain. Strokes are the leading cause of disability in the UK and the third most common cause of death after cancer and coronary heart disease.
Tags: Ambulance Service, Blood Supply To The Brain, Brain Strokes, Cause Of Death, Common Cause Of Death, Coronary Heart Disease, Drop Of A Hat, Figure Sum, Headaches, Heart Disease, Nhs, Paramedics, Romford, S Hospital, Service Staff, Vertigo, Vomiting, Weekday, Wife Isabelle, Wingrove
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