October 20th, 2009
A 26-year-old woman died after a doctor failed to diagnose her cervical cancer eight times, a court has heard.
Nikki Sams had complained of irregular periods and abdominal pain to Dr Navin Shankar a number of times over four years. However, he never booked her in for an internal examination and told her it was "nothing serious".
It was only when she was referred to another practice after Dr Shankar was suspended for misconduct in another case that a cervical smear discovered abnormal cells.
Although Ms Sams underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she died of secondary cancer in August 2007.
Her father Michael Sams said: "It is unbelievable that in this day and age a girl can go to her doctor so many times complaining about all these symptoms and be sent away and told not to worry."
It is not yet known if the family is seeking compensation for clinical negligence.
Earlier in 2009, a woman who almost died after medics failed to spot her cervical cancer at Wythenshawe Hospital was awarded a five-figure sum in compensation.
Tags: Abdominal Pain, Abnormal Cells, Cancer Hospital, Cancer Symptoms, Cervical Cancer, Cervical Smear, Chemotherapy, Clinical Negligence, Eight Times, Figure Sum, Internal Examination, Irregular Periods, Medics, Navin, Old Woman, Sams, Secondary Cancer
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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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October 12th, 2009
A woman whose leg was unnecessarily amputated after doctors misdiagnosed her with cancer has been awarded a six-figure compensation payout.
Doreen Nicholls, 72, found a lump in her foot and was referred to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham in August 2007.
A team of orthopaedic, radiology and histology medics advised an amputation of her leg below the knee after finding symptoms of a particularly aggressive soft tissue cancer.
However, after the grandmother underwent surgery in October 2007, it was discovered that the swelling had not been cancerous after all.
Ms Nicholls sought legal advice and pursued a compensation claim against the hospital. Although it has not admitted liability, it has agreed to a six-figure payout as part of an out-of-court settlement.
"I shall never forgive the hospital for what they’ve done to me. I just want my leg back, money doesn’t mean a thing," the victim remarked.
According to recent research from Imperial College London, as many as one in six NHS patients is currently being misdiagnosed.
Tags: Amputation, Compensation Claim, Court Settlement, Doctors, Grandmother, Histology, Imperial College London, Legal Advice, Medics, Money, Nhs Patients, Nicholls, Radiology, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Soft Tissue Cancer, Woman
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October 1st, 2009
A widow has appeared in the High Court to allege that hospital blunders killed her husband.
Brian Magill, 66, was admitted to Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast in 1999 after developing problems with his liver, the Belfast Telegraph reports.
He was transferred to Belfast City Hospital in order to have an operation, but died on the operating table.
Although the hospital claims that his death came as a result of liver cancer, his wife Bernie Magill maintains that a bile duct was perforated during surgery, which caused death from blood poisoning.
The widow also alleges that the hospital lost the results of a CT scan which could have assisted her in her quest for compensation.
The case is to continue at the High Court, but the hospital denies any allegations of wrongdoing.
According to the Guardian, £807 million was paid out in compensation as a result of clinical negligence last year.
The Department of Health has proposed the introduction of a duty of candour, which would see medics having to declare when staff mistakes injure or kill patients, in order to reduce such cases.
Tags: Allegations, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Telegraph, Bile Duct, Blood Poisoning, Clinical Negligence, Ct Scan, Department Of Health, Duty Of Candour, Guardian, Hospital Blunders, Liver Cancer, Magill, Medics, Royal Victoria Hospital, Telegraph Reports, Wife Bernie, Wrongdoing
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September 23rd, 2009
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.
Tags: Blood Disorder, Blood Transfusion, Central Venous Catheter, Clinical Negligence, Doctor Who, Half Pints, Health Service, Injury Death, Intensive Care, Jugular Vein, Legal Advice, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Medics, Ms Thompson, Pints Of Blood, Rare Blood Disorder, Sally Thompson, Seizures, Ultrasound, Woman S Hospital
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