September 24th, 2009
Kettering General Hospital is to pay three people a total of £1.5 million in compensation after complications at their respective births left them blind.
The victims, who have not been named, are now aged 21, 18 and 16 and have been blind since they were born prematurely at the hospital, the Northampton Evening Telegraph reports.
It was found that they had not been provided with enough oxygen, which had led to insufficient development in the eye and a condition called retinopathy of prematurity.
The victims opted to seek compensation for the loss of opportunities caused by their blindness, as well as their heightened care needs.
Their lawyers have now successfully negotiated a collective £1.5 million in compensation for clinical negligence.
A spokesperson for Kettering General Hospital said: "The trust is unable to comment on individual claims as we would want at all times to respect the right to privacy and confidentiality of our patients."
Retinopathy of prematurity is thought to be caused by the disorganised growth of blood vessels in the retina and can often affect premature babies. It can result in scarring, retinal detachment and blindness.
Tags: 5 Million, Births, Blindness, Blood Vessels, Clinical Negligence, General Hospital, Insufficient Development, Lawyers, Northampton, Oxygen, Premature Babies, Privacy And Confidentiality, Retina, Retinal Detachment, Retinopathy Of Prematurity, Right To Privacy, Right To Privacy And Confidentiality, Spokesperson, Telegraph Reports
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August 5th, 2009
Two brothers who were treated for a rare form of anaemia are to receive compensation after they both ended up with iron overdoses.
According to the BBC, Liam McNeely, 35, and his brother Paul, 39, both had blood transfusions at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
However, in 2001, the siblings were both diagnosed with iron overload – Liam’s iron levels were 5,000 mg when the normal amount is between 30 and 100 mg.
"It turned out it was caused from having too many blood transfusions without having the necessary treatment. I was in shock," Liam remarked.
He now suffers from diabetes and osteoporosis, while Paul needs constant care from care workers and his parents.
In a new development, the hospital has agreed to an undisclosed payout after an eight-year legal battle and has admitted liability for the brothers’ injuries.
Iron is needed to carry oxygen around the body, but when too much of it gets into the bloodstream, it can damage the stomach, liver, kidneys, lungs, blood vessels and brain, Healthoma attests.
Tags: Bbc, Blood Transfusions, Blood Vessels, Bloodstream, Brother Paul, Constant Care, Diabetes, Iron Levels, Iron Overload, Kidneys, Liver, Lungs, Mcneely, Necessary Treatment, Osteoporosis, Oxygen, Royal Liverpool Hospital, Siblings, Stomach, Two Brothers
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July 31st, 2009
A young man who was the victim of a medical blunder at his birth has been awarded compensation that will cover his long-term care needs.
The unnamed victim was deprived of oxygen at birth due to errors by health professionals. Had he been delivered 25 minutes earlier, his brain damage could have been avoided, Conscious.co.uk reports.
Now, however, he cannot walk or talk and is reliant on others for his care. His family were wrongly told that they could not claim compensation because their son is now over three years old, but they recently found that this is not the case and lodged a claim against the NHS trust involved.
Indeed, although those over 18 must seek compensation within three years of clinical negligence occurring, the families of children affected by it can make a claim until they are 18 years old.
The NHS trust admitted liability for the victim’s brain injuries and agreed to a £3.8 million payout that will enable him to move to a specially adapted house.
Claims for clinical negligence can be brought against a range of health professionals, including doctors, private healthcare practitioners, dentists, nurses, occupational therapists and plastic surgeons.
Tags: 18 Years, Brain Damage, Brain Injuries, Clinical Negligence, Dentists, Doctors, Health Professionals, Healthcare Practitioners, Left Brain, Long Term Care, Medical Blunder, Nhs Trust, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Oxygen, Private Healthcare, Young Man
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July 29th, 2009
A woman who was left brain damaged due to errors at her birth has been awarded compensation to cover her long-term care.
Lucy Jones, now 24, was born at the former Princess Margaret Hospital in Swindon in February 1984, the Swindon Advertiser reports.
Although her mother was suffering problems, staff did not make the decision to carry out a Caesarean until 04:15 GMT, by which time Lucy had been starved of oxygen.
A subsequent investigation found that the operation could have been performed by 01:30 GMT in order to make the situation safer for the baby.
Lucy’s family took legal action against the Avon, Gloucester & Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority, which has now admitted liability and agreed to pay a seven-figure sum that should pay for Lucy’s care needs for the rest of her life.
According to Scope, approximately one in four children is born with cerebral palsy in the UK.
Tags: Advertiser Reports, Amp, Avon, Brain, Cerebral Palsy, Figure Sum, Former Princess Margaret Hospital, Gloucester, Gmt, Long Term Care, Lucy Jones, Negligence, Oxygen, Princess Margaret Hospital, Scope, Strategic Health Authority, Subsequent Investigation, Swindon Advertiser, Woman
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July 15th, 2009
A girl who suffers from cerebral palsy after being the victim of what was later described as a "negligent birth" has been awarded a multi-million pound compensation settlement.
Abigail Thomas, now six, was born at St Mary’s Hospital in Portsmouth, but errors by medical staff meant that she was starved of oxygen.
She went on to develop quadriplegic cerebral palsy and now needs constant care to deal with her physical impairments, the Portsmouth News reports.
Through her mother Jacqueline, Abigail sued Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust for clinical negligence. It admitted liability and has now agreed to a compensation settlement of £1.3 million.
This will cover the cost of carers for Abigail, including a night-time helper to relieve her parents.
Nick Block, spokesperson for the NHS trust, said: "We hope that this settlement will provide financial security and help to lift the family’s burden."
According to Scope, there has been a slight increase in the proportion of children who have cerebral palsy in recent years – approximately one in every 400 children is affected.
Tags: 3m, Abigail Thomas, Carers, Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, Constant Care, Financial Security, Hospitals Nhs Trust, Jacqueline, Medical Staff, News Reports, Night Time, Oxygen, Physical Impairments, Portsmouth Hospitals Nhs Trust, Proportion, S Hospital, Scope, Spokesperson
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