November 6th, 2009
Two bereaved parents are set to launch a medical negligence claim against Pennine Acute NHS Trust after their baby died during labour at the Royal Oldham Hospital.
An inquest into the death at Oldham Magistrates’ Court revealed several errors made by the midwife and the doctor involved in the delivery of Tracy and John Last’s child Olivia.
Both of the medical professionals failed to spot problems with the baby’s heart rate during labour and the child was born lifeless.
Following the inquest verdict, Mr and Mrs Last, from Chadderton, near Oldham, have decided to launch medical negligence action.
Mr Last said: "Nothing can compensate us for the loss of Olivia who we longed for.
"Tracy and I do though feel that we owe it to the daughter we lost and to other couples, to take action which we hope will lead to lessons being learnt."
Last month, a US jury awarded $1.25 million (£750,000) to a family whose baby died following a doctor’s misdiagnosis.
Dr Kevin Krause was found to be negligent in his treatment of 21-month-old Andrew Morrow, who died of appendicitis after being diagnosed first with flu and then with gastroenteritis, reports AP.
Tags: Appendicitis, Bereaved Parents, Dr Kevin, Flu, Heart Rate, Inquest, Kevin Krause, Labour, Magistrates Court, Medical Negligence Claim, Medical Professionals, Midwife, Misdiagnosis, Mr And Mrs, Negligence Action, Nhs Trust, Oldham, Olivia, S Child
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October 26th, 2009
A 14-year-old boy has been awarded compensation for clinical negligence after a hospital admitted that its failings caused his cerebral palsy.
The unnamed victim was born prematurely at Billinge Hospital, but staff failed to properly administer ventilation, the Manchester Evening News reports.
He is now wheelchair-bound and will need round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.
The child’s parents took legal action against Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and – after an 11-year legal battle – have now been awarded compensation that will allow them to specially adapt their home for their disabled son.
"The trust very much hopes that the compensation monies will provide life-long security and enable the individual to fulfil their potential," a spokesperson for the hospital said.
According to figures published by Scope, approximately one in 400 babies in the UK is born with cerebral palsy every year. This may be caused by a blocked blood vessel, complications in labour, extreme prematurity or illness just after birth.
Tags: 5 Million, Babies, Blood Vessel, Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, Clock Care, Extreme Prematurity, Foundation Trust, Labour, Manchester Evening News, Monies, News Reports, Nhs, Parents, Scope, Spokesperson, Ventilation, Wheelchair, Wigan
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October 14th, 2009
An NHS trust has been ordered to pay out £7.1 million in compensation to a boy who was left brain damaged due to errors surrounding his birth.
Harry Snowdon, now ten, was starved of oxygen after his delivery was delayed for four hours at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital in 1999.
His mother Debra had been given too much of a drug that causes labour and the baby was in distress in the birth canal, but a lack of monitoring led to the devastating errors and Harry was born with brain damage.
He now has no sense of danger and has violent mood swings, meaning that he will never be able to live independently.
This week, Mr Justice Holroyde ruled that the "negligence of the defendants’ medical and nursing staff in the management of his birth" led to his disabilities.
Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust admitted liability and has now agreed to a £7.1 million compensation payout.
"We are relieved the settlement has eventually been agreed and we will not have to worry about what will happen to him when we are no longer around," said Ms Snowdon.
According to the Centre for Neuro Skills, over 1,000 children die or suffer permanent brain injury every year in the UK because of shortage of oxygen around the time of birth.
Tags: 1 Million, 1m, Birth Canal, Brain Damage, Brain Injury, Disabilities, John Radcliffe Hospital, Labour, Left Brain, Mr Justice, Negligence, Neuro Skills, Nhs Trust, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals, Oxygen, Sense Of Danger, Snowdon, Time Of Birth, Violent Mood Swings
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October 13th, 2009
An NHS trust has paid a substantial sum in compensation to a couple whose baby died due to errors during his birth.
Johanne Rees went into a ward at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff when her waters broke at 18 weeks in 2005, but medics managed to stave off the birth until 32 weeks.
However, when the patient began to go into labour, the doctor who checked her said it was simply stomach ache and advised her to go to the toilet.
Ms Rees said she was screaming in agony and knew she needed an emergency caesarean, but was not taken for one for another two-and-a-half hours.
By the time he was delivered, baby Arun was brain dead. Ms Rees and her partner Krishna Govekar made the decision to switch off his life support on November 29th 2005.
Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust admitted liability and has now agreed to pay the couple £650,000 in compensation.
Earlier this month, a patient lodged a complaint with the Health Service Ombudsman alleging that delays in getting her to hospital led to her baby being stillborn.
Tags: Agony, Arun, Brain Dead, Brain Trust, Cardiff And Vale Nhs Trust, Doctor Who, Health Service Ombudsman, Johanne, Krishna, Labour, Led, Medics, Rees, Stomach Ache, Substantial Sum, Toilet, Two And A Half Hours, University Hospital Of Wales, Vale Nhs Trust
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September 21st, 2009
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has spoken out in support of a motion that calls on the government to provide compensation for sufferers of pleural plaques.
Trade body the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (Ucatt) believes that the government should overturn the Law Lords ruling made in 2007 which states that people suffering from pleural plaques should not receive compensation.
Pleural plaques occur when the lining of the lung swells, mostly due to asbestos exposure. Victims may be at risk of developing more serious asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma later on in life.
Commenting on the current law, Ucatt president John Thompson said it is unsuitable and that he hopes Labour will change its stance, adding: "In Barrow, South Shields, Plymouth and other asbestos-blighted towns, it is a crucial test of the morality of this government."
After the TUC gave support to the motion, Gordon Brown has said that a statement on pleural plaques is to be made after parliament returns from its summer break.
Tags: Allied Trades, Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Related Diseases, Barrow, Bid, Gordon Brown, John Thompson, Labour, Mesothelioma, Morality, Parliament, Pleural Plaques, Plymouth, President John, Quot, Risk, South Shields, Summer Break, Trades Union Congress, Union Congress Tuc
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