October 15th, 2009
A widow is considering legal action against an NHS trust after her husband died following an operation.
Joseph Gill, 58, was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in July for a lung cancer operation. However, he was given the wrong medication six times when staff mixed him up with another patient and he fell ill.
Despite this, he was taken in for the surgery to receive part of his lung on July 7th. Complications arose and he died on July 16th.
Eileen Gill, 55, said she blames NHS Grampian for her husband’s death and claims the nurses had called him George and repeatedly given him medication meant for a heart patient.
She is now demanding answers in order to consider pursuing a clinical negligence compensation claim.
"We’ve got a solicitor but can’t do anything until we know what drug he was given," she commented.
A spokesperson for NHS Grampian denied that the medication mix-up had led to Mr Gill’s death but said that lessons had been learnt since the mistakes.
This comes after research from the Care Quality Commission revealed that one in nine of the 392 NHS trusts in the UK performed badly or failed to improve in the last year.
Tags: Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Cancer Operation, Care Quality, Clinical Negligence Compensation, Compensation Claim, Grampian, Heart Patient, Joseph Gill, July 7th, Lung Cancer, Medication, Mr Gill, Nhs Trust, Nhs Trusts, Nurses, Quality Commission, Six Times, Solicitor, Spokesperson
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August 11th, 2009
An offshore oil worker is seeking compensation from NHS Grampian, claiming that a ‘botched’ operation on his knee ruined his life.
Davie Jamieson, 54, went into Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen to have an artificial joint fitted into his knee in February 2008, the Press and Journal reports.
However, doctors wrongly fitted the joint to the outer side of his left knee, when he should have been given a full knee replacement.
Mr Jamieson claims this has left him crippled and depressed. He is unable to sit down for long periods and has difficulty sleeping.
The victim claims that the operation was a disaster due to human error and that it would have been fine if he had the correct procedure in the first place. He is seeking a payout from the NHS for the pain and suffering he was caused.
"I feel very angry about what happened to me because doctors ignored me when I told them the pain was coming from the inner side of my knee," he commented.
Earlier this month, the same publication reported that surgical teams at north and north-east hospitals made 1,200 clinical errors between 2004 and 2008.
Tags: Aberdeen, Disaster, Doctors, Grampian, Hospitals, Human Error, Jamieson, Knee Replacement, Left Knee, Long Periods, Nhs, Offshore Oil, Oil Worker, Pain And Suffering, Worker Compensation
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May 19th, 2009
A woman whose baby was stillborn has been awarded compensation after hospital staff admitted to failings in his care.
Arlien Middleton’s son Kenneth died in October 2003 at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and letters from doctors revealed that his heart had not been properly monitored, the Aberdeen Press and Journal reports.
Ms Middleton sought compensation from NHS Grampian, claiming that if she and the baby had been properly checked, she could have had an emergency Caesarean and Kenneth may have survived.
After a five-year battle, Ms Middleton was awarded £21,500 in compensation for the pain and suffering she was caused.
"It was never to do with the money. I didn’t care about the money. I just wanted an apology," she remarked.
NHS Grampian declined to comment on the individual case.
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: Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Aberdeen Press And Journal, Apology, Clinical Negligence, Doctors, Grampian, Health Service, Heart, Hospital Staff, Injury Death, Money, Nhs, Pain And Suffering, Woman
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