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
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 29th, 2009
A girl who went blind after doctors failed to spot a brain tumour has been awarded £1.5 million in compensation.
Tatum Rock, now 16, went into King George Hospital in Essex after banging her head in a fall in 1999.
She had X-rays, but was sent home when the radiologist missed a large brain tumour. Although the condition came to light four months later and she had corrective surgery, it was too late to save her sight.
An investigation revealed that had the X-ray been read properly, the victim would have had surgery immediately and her sight would most likely have been saved.
Tatum took legal action against Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which has now admitted liability for the misdiagnosis and agreed to the payout.
Hospital bosses apologised for the failings and wished Tatum well for her future at university.
Research from Imperial College London recently revealed that as many as one in six NHS patients are being misdiagnosed by either GPs or hospital staff.
Tags: 5 Million, 5m, Barking Havering And Redbridge, Brain Tumour, Corrective Surgery, Doctors, Essex, Four Months, Gps, Havering, Hospital Staff, Hospitals Nhs Trust, Imperial College London, Misdiagnosis, Nhs Patients, Radiologist, University Hospitals Nhs Trust, X Ray, X Rays
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
September 18th, 2009
A group of women in Lancashire are said to be considering legal action after errors by a doctor led to them mistakenly being given the all-clear for breast cancer.
One radiologist at Accrington Victoria Hospital failed to spot a number of tumours and staff became concerned about previous test results.
They recalled 85 patients from the past three years and discovered that 14 had invasive breast cancer.
It is not clear if the blunders will affect the womens’ chances of survival, but they are all now undergoing treatment.
East Lancashire NHS Trust representative Rineke Schram commented: "I would like to apologise for any distress and anxiety caused."
The 14 woman affected are considering making compensation claims, the Daily Mail attests.
Anyone who has endured pain and suffering as the result of a cancer misdiagnosis may be entitled to claim compensation and should seek the advice of a solicitor specialising in clinical negligence claims.
Tags: Accrington, Blunder, Blunders, Breast Cancer, Clinical Negligence Claims, Compensation Claims, Daily Mail, East Lancashire, Group Of Women, Invasive Breast Cancer, Misdiagnosis, Nhs Trust, Pain And Suffering, Radiologist, Schram, Solicitor Specialising, Test Results, Tumours, Undergoing Treatment, Victoria Hospital
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
May 28th, 2009
A woman who had to undergo a hysterectomy after abnormal cells were missed during a routine smear test has been awarded compensation.
Lyn Harris, 53, had the original procedure at City Hospital in Birmingham in 2002, but the potentially cancerous cells were not detected.
It was not until 2005 that another smear revealed that she had developed cervical cancer and that she had no choice but to have a hysterectomy.
She took legal action against Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, which admitted liability for the misdiagnosis and agreed to a payout amounting to five figures.
A statement from the trust apologised and said that new standards of testing have been introduced as a result of Ms Harris’s ordeal.
"The trust endeavours to maintain the highest standards of screening but unfortunately on this rare occasion the changes in the smear test result in April 2002 were missed," it added.
Anyone who has endured pain and suffering as the result of a cancer misdiagnosis that would not have occurred had the diagnosis been correct may be entitled to claim compensation and should seek legal advice.
Tags: Abnormal Cells, Apologised, Cancerous Cells, Cervical Cancer, Diagnosis, Endeavours, Hospitals Nhs Trust, Hysterectomy, Legal Advice, Lyn Harris, Misdiagnosis, Ms Harris, Ordeal, Pain And Suffering, Rare Occasion, Sandwell, Smear Test, Test Result, Woman
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
May 28th, 2009
An 18-year-old man has received compensation for a misdiagnosis that occurred when he was a toddler.
Aaron Blain was on a farm in Stockport in 1993 when he became tangled in the reins of a horse which then panicked, the Manchester Evening News reports.
He was taken to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in Pendlebury, but was discharged. His parents were told to look for signs of a runny nose, which could indicate a fractured skull and leaking of spinal fluid.
When Aaron developed these symptoms, his parents called GP Dr Sean Maguire for a home visit, but they were dismissed and the child was not referred to hospital.
He went on to develop meningitis and was left with epilepsy, deafness and behavioural problems.
In a new development, the NHS trust responsible for the misdiagnosis has paid Aaron £5.75 million in order to cover his long-term care.
"We are glad to know what we have to work with but this is not about our future, it’s about Aaron," said his grandfather Howard Chipman.
Anyone who suffers from an injury or illness that was made worse by a misdiagnosis may be eligible for compensation and should seek the advice of a solicitor.
Tags: Behavioural Problems, Blain, Chipman, Deafness, Fractured Skull, Grandfather Howard, Manchester Children, Manchester Evening News, Meningitis, Misdiagnosis, Nhs Trust, Pendlebury, Reins, Royal Manchester, Runny Nose, S Hospital, Sean Maguire, Solicitor, Stockport
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
