January 15th, 2009
A court hearing is taking place to decide whether a British woman died as a result of the actions of doctors who were treating her.
Patricia Leighton, 51, had rheumatoid arthritis and was admitted to hospital in July 1998 suffering from pain from a bunion, the Birmingham Post reports.
However, she was given a shot of adrenaline which did not react well to the medicine she was already taking and she died.
The family’s legal team claim that Dr Priya Ramnath gave Ms Leighton the adrenaline even though two doctors present told her not to and that she did not refer to the consultant in charge.
Dr Ramnath denies the allegations of clinical negligence and the case continues.
If the doctor is found guilty, the family of Ms Leighton could be eligible for compensation from the NHS trust responsible for the hospital where she died.
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.
Tags: Adrenaline, Allegations, Arthritis, Birmingham Post, British Woman, Bunion, Clinical Negligence, Court Hearing, Health Service, Hospital Negligence, Injury Death, Leighton, Medicine, Nhs Trust, Priya Ramnath, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Suffering From, Two Doctors
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January 7th, 2009
The remaining members of a family touched by tragedy due to hospital negligence have been paid compensation for their loss.
Bethany Bowen, five, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, for a routine operation on her spleen in July 2006.
However, unbeknown to her parents Claire and Richard, the surgeon performing the operation was a trainee and the team had decided to use an untested piece of equipment on the child, the Daily Mail reports.
Bethany died on the operating table from a ruptured aorta. Tragically, due to stress, her father died of a heart attack 19 months later.
Claire Bowen launched legal action against the hospital, claiming: "If it hadn’t been for the arrogance of the surgeons involved, Bethany would still be alive."
The trust responsible for the hospital recently admitted clinical negligence and has now paid Claire and her two young sons £10,000 as an acknowledgement of their loss.
John Radcliffe Hospital is Oxfordshire’s main accident and emergency site and is the largest of the trust’s hospitals.
Tags: 19 Months, Accident And Emergency, Acknowledgement, Arrogance, Bowen, Clinical Negligence, Daily Mail, Heart Attack, Hospital Negligence, John Radcliffe Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford, Mail Reports, Oxfordshire, Quot, Radcliffe Hospital Oxford, Routine Operation, Ruptured Aorta, Spleen, Tragedy
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September 3rd, 2008
A hospital has admitted it was negligent in the care it provided to a pregnant woman and her baby 17 years ago.
Susan Cuthbert was admitted to Grimsby Maternity Hospital in 1991 for an emergency caesarean section.
She gave birth to Frances Ferrier nine weeks prematurely, reports the Grimsby Telegraph.
However, in the weeks following Frances’s birth, she was discovered to have developmental problems and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
She needs 24-hour care and has learning difficulties and vision problems.
Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority has now admitted the baby should not have been delivered so early and the two sides are now working on an agreement as to the amount of compensation the family should receive.
An NHS spokesperson said: "The Strategic Health Authority has admitted negligence for the failings in obstetric management which led to Frances’s injuries."
Around five per cent of cerebral palsy cases occur during birth, while 15 per cent develop after the child is born.
Tags: 17 Years, Caesarean Section, Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, Cuthbert, Ferrier, Grimsby Telegraph, Hospital Negligence, Learning Difficulties, Maternity Hospital, Nine Weeks, Pregnant Woman, Spokesperson, Strategic Health Authority, Vision Problems, Yorkshire
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July 28th, 2008
A young boy who was left with permanent brain damage due to hospital negligence during his birth has received damages of £5.5 million.
Luke Parsons has subsequently been diagnosed with Dyskinetic Athetoid Cerebral Palsy after he was starved of oxygen as a result of negligence in the management of his mother’s labour at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, reports the BBC.
In addition to £2.1 million for admitted liability, he will also receive annual payments of up to £120,000 for the rest of his life.
Luke’s parents said in a statement: "Although the money seems a huge amount it will be needed to give Luke the security and support that he will require for the rest of his life."
Helen Niebuhr, the solicitor who represented the Parsons family, said that the purpose of the award was to try and enable Luke to live the kind of life he would have enjoyed.
Tags: 1 Million, 5 Million, Athetoid Cerebral Palsy, Bbc, Brain Damage, Cerebral Palsy, Damages, Hospital Negligence, John Radcliffe Hospital, Labour, Life Quot, Money, Niebuhr, Oxford, Oxygen, Parents, Parsons Family, Solicitor, Wins
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June 3rd, 2008
A young girl who received brain damage as a result of clinical negligence by a Suffolk hospital will learn today (June 3rd) how much compensation she is to be awarded.
Holly Goodwyn was born in January 1997. However, delays in her delivery left her with brain injuries and she was subsequently diagnosed with athetoid cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
Ipswich Hospital admitted clinical negligence although they were unable to agree a compensation figure with lawyers acting for the girl, according to the East Anglian Daily Times.
Lawyer Sarah Coles said that Holly needs to use an electronic communication device and requires 24 hour care, which is currently provided by her parents and paid carers.
Holly’s mum, Lynne Goodwyn, commented: "Whilst we were reluctant to take legal action in this matter, we felt that the extent of the help Holly requires would not be available otherwise."
In other news, the Ipswich Evening Star reports that new matrons have begun patrolling wards at Ipswich Hospital in an effort to cut MRSA and Clostridium Difficile infections.
Tags: Brain Damage, Brain Injuries, Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, Clostridium, Coles, Communication Device, East Anglian Daily Times, Electronic Communication, Epilepsy, Goodwyn, Holly, Hospital Negligence, Ipswich Evening Star, Ipswich Hospital, Matrons, Mrsa, Star Reports, Wards, Young Girl
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