October 29th, 2009
A girl who went blind after doctors failed to spot a brain tumour has been awarded £1.5 million in compensation.
Tatum Rock, now 16, went into King George Hospital in Essex after banging her head in a fall in 1999.
She had X-rays, but was sent home when the radiologist missed a large brain tumour. Although the condition came to light four months later and she had corrective surgery, it was too late to save her sight.
An investigation revealed that had the X-ray been read properly, the victim would have had surgery immediately and her sight would most likely have been saved.
Tatum took legal action against Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which has now admitted liability for the misdiagnosis and agreed to the payout.
Hospital bosses apologised for the failings and wished Tatum well for her future at university.
Research from Imperial College London recently revealed that as many as one in six NHS patients are being misdiagnosed by either GPs or hospital staff.
Tags: 5 Million, 5m, Barking Havering And Redbridge, Brain Tumour, Corrective Surgery, Doctors, Essex, Four Months, Gps, Havering, Hospital Staff, Hospitals Nhs Trust, Imperial College London, Misdiagnosis, Nhs Patients, Radiologist, University Hospitals Nhs Trust, X Ray, X Rays
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 27th, 2009
Compensation is to be paid to a family who sustained agonising burns after swimming in a hotel pool while on holiday.
Susan Austin and her partner Lee Sanders from Essex were among 33 Britons who suffered a reaction to chemicals in the pool at the Mitsis Roda Beach Hotel in Corfu, the Essex Echo reports.
They were left in so much pain that they could not put their clothes on over the broken skin. However, the hotel staff continued to put chemicals in the pool on a daily basis, even though many guests had already sustained burns.
After the holiday, 42 travellers took legal action against Thomas Cook for the pain they were caused.
They have now won their claim and are to receive an undisclosed sum in compensation from the tour operator.
Last month, the Daily Mail reported that £52,000 had been awarded to a child who suffered an electric shock in a hotel shower while on holiday in Kenya.
Tags: Beach Hotel, Britons, Broken Skin, Burns, Corfu, Daily Basis, Daily Mail, Electric Shock, Essex, Hotel Pool, Hotel Staff, Lee Sanders, Mitsis Roda Beach, Partner Lee, Susan Austin, Thomas Cook, Tour Operator, Travellers, Undisclosed Sum
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
October 22nd, 2009
A man is seeking compensation following an accident which he says was caused by another road user.
Richard Tait, 62, had been riding his motorbike near Canning Town in October 2006 when he was hit by a car being driven by Olumuyiwa Ogunyode, the Essex Echo reports.
He badly hurt his shoulder, hip, groin and hamstring and fears he will never be able to work as an electrician again due to injuries limiting his movement.
Mr Tait claims that Mr Ogunyode was negligent because he pulled into a lane of traffic when it was unsafe to do so, did not indicate and did not check for vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists.
He has issued a High Court writ and it is thought that officials are now deciding how much compensation the victim should receive. Mr Tait is hoping to claim £250,000 for his lost earnings and suffering.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, there were 493 motorcycle deaths on Britain’s roads in 2008.
Tags: Canning Town, Earnings, Electrician, Essex, Fears, Groin, Motorbike Accident, Motorcycle Deaths, Motorcyclists, Prevention, Richard Tait, Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents, Suffering, Traffic, Vulnerable Road Users, Writ
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
September 11th, 2009
A woman from Essex is to receive compensation after a hospital failed to deal with a condition which led to her baby being stillborn.
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust in Harlow is to pay Louisa Greenslade a five-figure sum after admitting medical negligence, reports the Harrow Herald.
The admission came after routine tests carried out in March 2005 during Ms Greenslade’s pregnancy detected unusual levels of glucose and protein.
Although the results may have been indicative of gestational diabetes, staff at the hospital did not act on them.
Ms Greenslade’s daughter Rowen was stillborn in June 2005.
In 2006, she gave birth to a healthy son, Flynn. During that pregnancy she received treatment for gestational diabetes at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
A spokesman from Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust said it had now put in place measures to minimise the risk of a similar medical negligence case occurring in its maternity unit.
News of the settlement came as the Safer Births network was launched to help improve safety standards in England’s maternity departments.
Tags: Addenbrooke S Hospital, Births, Essex, Figure Sum, Gestational Diabetes, Glucose, Harlow, Harrow, Hospital Negligence, Hospital Nhs Trust, Maternity Unit, Medical Negligence Case, Place Measures, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Routine Tests, Rowen, Safety Standards, Spokesman, Stillborn, Unit News
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
August 24th, 2009
Human error in an Essex hospital has led to the wrong patient being operated on, it has been revealed.
Staff at King George Hospital in Goodmayes made the mistake when two patients with the same name were treated on the same ward.
The victim endured a painful lung operation when it should have been given to the other man. It is not yet clear if he will be taking legal action against the hospital.
Joyce Robins, co-director of Patient Concern, commented: "The terrifying thing about this catalogue of disaster is that it is just the tip of the iceberg."
A spokesperson from the Department of Health insisted that patient safety is the NHS’s highest priority and claimed that 93 per cent of those treated are satisfied with their care.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that NHS compensation payouts for clinical negligence had risen by 22 per cent from 2008-09, amounting to some £807 million.
Tags: Clinical Negligence, Co Director, Compensation Payouts, Department Of Health, Disaster, Essex, Health Safety, Human Error, Leads, Led, Mistake, Nhs, Patient Safety, Priority, Spokesperson, Tip Of The Iceberg
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
