A surgeon could be facing legal action over a death in hospital after new evidence came to light regarding the incident.

William John Martin, 55, died in 2001 during an operation at the City Hospital, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

Surgeon Dick Donaldson tore the victim’s portal vein and hepatic artery while performing a bladder removal procedure and it is claimed by Mr Martin’s family that this was a result of clinical negligence.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has said it is looking into the death again and may formally reopen the investigation, leaving Mr Martin’s family free to pursue legal action if the surgeon is found to be negligent.

A spokesperson said: "The PPS confirmed that in light of new information which has been brought to its attention it will be meeting with police this week."

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.

Negligence may occur from delay or failure to diagnose a condition, delay or failure to treat a condition, when a treatment goes wrong, use of the wrong treatment, or failure to obtain consent.

A family is seeking compensation from a Manchester hospital after a woman bled to death during treatment.

Sally Thompson, 20, had a rare blood disorder and had gone into Manchester Royal Infirmary in August 2005 complaining of weakness in her legs.

She was taken to intensive care after beginning to suffer from seizures and medics decided to insert a central venous catheter into her neck to aid with getting medication in.

However, the doctor who inserted the equipment hit Ms Thompson’s jugular vein. Although a request was made for a blood transfusion, it did not come for almost two hours.

By then, the patient had lost three-and-a-half pints of blood and doctors could not save her.

Ms Thompson’s family is to sue the hospital after it was discovered that ultrasound should have been used to ensure the vein was not punctured.

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. Victims may be eligible for compensation and should seek legal advice.

A recycling worker from Wiltshire is in line for a seven-figure compensation payment after a botched neck operation left him severely disabled.

Michael Hart underwent surgery to remove a compressed disc at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in September 2008, in what should have been a routine procedure.

However, an error by surgeons led to complications which caused irreversible damage to Mr Hart’s spinal cord.

As a result, he is now confined to a wheelchair, with only limited movement in his hands.

Following his release from hospital in April this year, he began a medical negligence claim against Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust, which has now admitted full liability for the mistake made by its staff.

A compensation figure is still to be agreed, but it is almost certain to be more than £1 million, as it will take into account loss of earnings and the cost of long-term care for Mr Hart.

The news comes after the NHS Litigation Authority’s annual report revealed the health service spent £807 million to settle compensation claims in the 2008-09 financial year.

A woman whose bowel was accidentally stitched up when she went into hospital to have a routine hysterectomy is seeking compensation from the hospital she holds responsible.

Lynn Main, 55, was admitted to Horton General Hospital in Oxfordshire on May 7th for a three-day stay.

However, during surgery, a doctor mistakenly stitched up her bowel.

Ms Main was left in agony, but was told by hospital staff that she was simply constipated and should eat more.

On May 22nd, her bowel burst and she developed peritonitis. Doctors had to repair the internal injuries with staples in an emergency operation and drained the contents of her bowel manually.

Ms Main and her partner Alan Scott are now suing those responsible for Horton General Hospital for clinical negligence.

"Alan and me both knew that something was seriously wrong but none of the doctors or nurses would listen," she pointed out.

A spokesperson for the hospital said the case is under investigation.

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.

Anyone who has suffered as a result of this should seek a solicitor specialising in clinical negligence claims in order to increase their likelihood of receiving a payout.

A hospital has apologised to a family and agreed to pay compensation following an incident in which a man died.

Gary Rayner, 46, went into Sunderland Royal Hospital on June 26th 2007 for a routine operation on his lymph nodes after previously beating cancer, the Sunderland Echo reports.

However, on June 30th, Mr Rayner began sweating profusely and then went into cardiac arrest.

Although a crash team was called, they could not resuscitate him and he died at 23:00 BST.

A subsequent investigation revealed that staff failed to provide anti-clotting drugs until June 28th, by which time it was too late for the patient.

Les Boobis, medical director and consultant surgeon of City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, gave evidence to support this and it was ruled that Mr Rayner’s family should receive compensation.

A spokesperson for the hospital said a compensation settlement had been agreed with the family of the deceased.

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.

An autistic child who alleges that he was locked in a toilet by his carer has secured compensation.

Alex Berry, now 15, was left in the care of Siobhan Quinn in May 2005 as usual. She looked after the youngster in her own home in Dublin.

However, it is claimed that on this occasion, she left the house and secured 11-year-old Alex in a downstairs toilet while she was away.

Alex suffers from severe autism and cannot be left alone. His father Peter alleges that he arrived at Ms Quinn’s house to find her unlocking the toilet and letting Alex – who was in a distressed state – out.

With the assistance of his family, Alex took legal action against Ms Quinn, as well as Northside Home Care Services (her employer) and the Health Service Executive.

Mr Justice John Quirke ruled Ms Quinn’s behaviour to be "scandalous" and "dreadful".

Although the parties being sued did not admit liability for their negligence, it was agreed that Alex should receive a payout of £42,300 to cover the pain and suffering he was caused.

According to the National Autistic Society, over half a million people in the UK have autism, a figure which equates to around one in 100 people.

A new system has been proposed in Scotland that would make compensation for clinical negligence easier to claim.

At present, patients injured as a result of medical treatment must prove responsibility or have the NHS trust involved admit to it, which can be a lengthy and complicated process.

However, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon is investigating whether a different system could be put in place that would allow patients to claim ‘no fault’ payouts.

This could lead to compensation for thousands of people who contracted superbugs such as MRSA in hospital.

The plans are to be proposed and discussed further in 2010.

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.

Anyone who has suffered as a result of this should seek a solicitor specialising in clinical negligence claims in order to increase their likelihood of receiving a payout.

The family of a man who died in hospital are to receive a payout of £12,000 after its NHS trust admitted negligence.

Alun Stanton, 71, was diagnosed with pneumonia after being admitted to East Glamorgan Hospital suffering from shortness of breath.

He underwent an operation to insert a chest drain, which the family was told is normally a routine procedure.

However, Mr Stanton died two days later. A subsequent inquest discovered that the drain had been placed too low in the victim’s body, rupturing his spleen and causing the massive internal bleeding that led to his death.

His family took legal action against Cwm Taf NHS Trust, which originally said that it was not at fault for the death.

In a new development, the trust has now accepted that its staff made a mistake and has agreed to a payout of £12,000.

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.

Anyone who has suffered as a result should seek the advice of a solicitor.

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.

The family of a man who died after being given too much diamorphine are taking legal action against the NHS and the doctor who was responsible for his death.

David Gray, 70, died after being injected with ten times the recommended dose of the painkiller by Dr Daniel Ubani in February 2008.

Dr Ubani was on his first shift in the UK, working for the out of hours service Take Care Now. He is now under investigation by the Care Quality Commission and is facing a possible manslaughter charge.

Mr Gray’s family is pursuing civil legal action against Dr Ubani, NHS Cambridgeshire and Take Care Now, claiming that the medic did not have suitable training and that the victim would still be alive had he been treated by someone with British medical training or a student nurse.

NHS Cambridgeshire has insisted Mr Gray’s death was an isolated incident.

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.

Anyone affected should seek legal action as they may be eligible for compensation.