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
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September 9th, 2009
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.
Tags: Compensation Claims, Compensation Payment, Health Service, Hospital Nhs Trust, Irreversible Damage, John Radcliffe Hospital, Litigation, Long Term Care, Loss Of Earnings, Medical Negligence Claim, Michael Hart, Nhs Litigation Authority, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Nhs Trust, Recycling, Routine Procedure, Spinal Cord, Wheelchair, Wiltshire
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March 17th, 2009
A woman who alleges that she almost died after a surgical swab was left inside her is claiming thousands of pounds in compensation from the NHS trust she holds responsible.
Angela Watson went into hospital in Surrey to give birth to her daughter in March 2006 and was given a surgical cut known as an episiotomy to assist her, the Metro reports.
However, her condition began to deteriorate shortly afterwards and she developed tissue poisoning, following which her major organs shut down.
Ms Watson claims that the swab which had been left inside her was not discovered for two days and that she needed 28 operations to repair the damage caused.
She is now unable to have children and is suing Kingston Hospital NHS Trust for £300,000 in damages, as well as yearly payments to cover her disabilities.
The trust said it is investigating the claims.
There are grounds for a medical negligence claim when it can be shown that a practitioner has not exercised what is considered to be the normal standard of care and skill in their job.
Tags: Damages, Disabilities, Episiotomy, Hospital Nhs Trust, Job, Kingston Hospital Nhs Trust, Medical Negligence Claim, Metro, Organs, Surrey, Swab, Watson, Woman
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March 12th, 2009
The parents of a baby who died less than half an hour after his birth are taking legal action against the hospital they hold responsible.
Adam Djebili died after he was delivered with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, the Evening Standard reports.
His parents Noura and Brahim Djebili claim that staff at Kingston Hospital failed to notice that the child was in difficulties and that they ignored requests for an emergency Caesarean, relying instead on forceps.
Mr Djebili, 43, said that if it had not been for the hospital’s negligence, the baby would not have died.
"I don’t care about compensation, but I want the nation to know my baby was delivered carelessly and they killed him," he added.
A spokesperson for Kingston Hospital NHS Trust expressed sympathy to the family, but said it was unable to comment on the allegations.
In December, Clare and Tim Russell were awarded compensation from the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust in an out-of-court settlement after their baby died shortly after birth.
Tags: Allegations, Baby Parents, Court Settlement, Half An Hour, Hospital Negligence, Hospital Nhs Trust, Kingston Hospital Nhs Trust, Noura, Shrewsbury, Spokesperson, Sympathy, Tim Russell, Umbilical Cord
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January 5th, 2009
A child who was born severely disabled is to be awarded compensation by the hospital his mother always claimed was responsible.
Stephen Loraine was born in August 2000, but was starved of oxygen in the womb and developed spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, the Liverpool Echo reports.
This is a condition which affects all four limbs and is categorised by symptoms including jerky movements and difficulties in walking, speaking and sitting unaided.
His mother Pauline claimed that staff at Arrowe Park hospital should have checked records of her previous births, which would have showed a fibroid in her womb and would have resulted in Stephen being delivered more quickly.
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust has reconsidered plans to appeal against a high court decision to award compensation and it will now pay Stephen a significant amount to cover his long-term care.
"This will make such a difference to Stephen’s life and that’s all I want. We have no ramps and to be able to move him from room to room or get him out in the garden will be brilliant," Ms Loraine commented.
Tags: Arrowe Park Hospital, Births, Cerebral Palsy, Court Decision, Fibroid, Hospital Nhs Trust, Jerky Movements, Liverpool Echo, Long Term Care, Loraine, Mother Pauline, Oxygen, Ramps, University Teaching Hospital, Womb
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