Here at Pryers solicitors in York we have completed a medical negligence claim on behalf of a client and won her £2,000. The case involved a client who, in the course of the birth of her first child, had an epidural (for pain relief) that pierced the dura in the spine and led to leakage of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). This was a recognised complication of the epidural but the mistake was made by the hospital staff failing to recognise that the client’s ongoing headaches were as a result of the leakage and to carry out blood patching. The mistake was compounded by the community midwives failing to refer her back to the Hospital to get it sorted out. It was only about a month later that the client was referred back to the hospital and the patching carried out to relieve the headaches. This allowed the client to start to enjoy tending to her new-arrival.
Family sues police after boy is hit by patrol car
October 19th, 2009
A Bournemouth family is suing Dorset Police after a promising young schoolboy was left with devastating injuries by a police patrol car.
Greg Love, 13, was knocked off his bike by a police vehicle responding to a disturbance in a shop in December 2006.
His head injuries were so severe that he has been left unable to walk, speak or move anything other than his arm.
The family has taken legal action against the police, alleging that the car’s siren had not been working and that it had been travelling at 50mph in a 30mph limit.
Commenting on the claim for compensation, Chris Love, Greg’s father, told the Daily Express: "There’s great sadness. We’re reminded about it daily – wondering about what Greg would be doing each day. All we’re doing this for is to secure the future for Greg."
During pursuits and emergency calls, police officers can break some traffic laws if they have to. However, they are legally obliged to drive carefully and, if they make a mistake, they can be prosecuted.
Mix-up leads to surgeons operating on wrong patient
August 24th, 2009
Human error in an Essex hospital has led to the wrong patient being operated on, it has been revealed.
Staff at King George Hospital in Goodmayes made the mistake when two patients with the same name were treated on the same ward.
The victim endured a painful lung operation when it should have been given to the other man. It is not yet clear if he will be taking legal action against the hospital.
Joyce Robins, co-director of Patient Concern, commented: "The terrifying thing about this catalogue of disaster is that it is just the tip of the iceberg."
A spokesperson from the Department of Health insisted that patient safety is the NHS’s highest priority and claimed that 93 per cent of those treated are satisfied with their care.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that NHS compensation payouts for clinical negligence had risen by 22 per cent from 2008-09, amounting to some £807 million. 
Compensation for couple in IVF blunder
June 16th, 2009
A couple from Wales have been paid compensation after a devastating blunder at an IVF facility led to them losing a second chance to become parents.
The pair, named only as Debra and Paul, were hoping to try for a second child through IVF using their last surviving embryo in December 2007.
However, due to mistakes which were blamed on staff being overworked, the embryo was implanted into the wrong woman.
When the mistake was realised, the other woman agreed to a termination, but Debra said she was devastated that her last embryo made up of her own biological material had been destroyed.
Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust apologised unreservedly for the mistake and has agreed to a compensation payout of approximately £25,000 after admitting to gross failures in care.
Debra and Paul have said they may use the compensation to pay for further IVF treatment using donated eggs.
According to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, one in seven UK couples have difficulty conceiving and infertility is the most likely reason for a visit to the doctor after pregnancy.
£12k payout for family of hospital death victim
May 22nd, 2009
The family of a man who died in hospital are to receive a payout of £12,000 after its NHS trust admitted negligence.
Alun Stanton, 71, was diagnosed with pneumonia after being admitted to East Glamorgan Hospital suffering from shortness of breath.
He underwent an operation to insert a chest drain, which the family was told is normally a routine procedure.
However, Mr Stanton died two days later. A subsequent inquest discovered that the drain had been placed too low in the victim’s body, rupturing his spleen and causing the massive internal bleeding that led to his death.
His family took legal action against Cwm Taf NHS Trust, which originally said that it was not at fault for the death.
In a new development, the trust has now accepted that its staff made a mistake and has agreed to a payout of £12,000.
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.
Anyone who has suffered as a result should seek the advice of a solicitor.
