October 14th, 2008
A woman who had her healthy gall bladder removed after a hospital blunder could receive hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation should she decide to sue, it has been reported.
The unnamed patient went into St Mary’s Hospital in London – where health minister Lord Ara Darzi works – to have a gynaecological procedure, but was instead taken into an operating theatre where a surgeon carried out the wrong procedure.
Hospital staff have now apologised for the "regrettable error", but claim that the organ would probably have had to be removed at a later date anyway, since it was damaged.
Although the woman has not yet taken any legal action over the incident, should she launch a claim for compensation, it could be worth several hundred thousand pounds, experts said.
Victims of wrong diagnosis and other types of malpractice have a legal right to recover their damages from the hospital if it can be found to be responsible, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and earning capacity, and more.
Tags: Ara Darzi, Blunder, Damages, Gall Bladder, Health Minister, Hospital Staff, Hundred Thousand, Hundreds Of Thousands, London, Malpractice, Medical Expenses, S Hospital, Thousand Pounds, Wages, Woman, Wrong Diagnosis
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
August 27th, 2008
A hospital has issued an apology after making mistakes in relation to patient transport, it has been revealed.
According to reports in the Telegraph & Argus, Anthony Hall – who was suffering from a collapsed lung – had to make his own way to the medical centre by bus and on foot.
The 45-year-old made the 13-mile journey to St James’s Hospital in Leeds in May this year while struggling to breathe and carrying a surgical bag which was draining fluid from his lung.
According to Mr Hall, despite having explained the seriousness of his condition over the phone to a doctor, he was then transferred to a nurse who told him he would have to make his own way to the hospital – which is run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – and that no ambulance would be sent.
Commenting on the case, the patient’s MP Philip Davies said: "It seems totally unacceptable that somebody in Mr Hall’s situation could not get an ambulance to take him to hospital."
Tags: Ambulance, Amp, Apologises, Apology, Argus, Collapsed Lung, Hospitals Nhs Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Nhs Trust, Medical Centre, Mile Journey, Mistake, Mp, Nurse, Patient Transport, Philip Davies, S Hospital, Seriousness, St James, Teaching Hospitals Nhs Trust, Telegraph
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
July 31st, 2008
A pharmacist is facing possible suspension as a result of a mistake he made when giving out medication.
Achmat Rossier gave 71-year-old Anthony Peckham a dose of morphine ten times stronger than it should have been, the Cambridge Evening News reports.
Mr Peckham was found collapsed at his home in June 2006 and subsequently died at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
In a new development, his family has called on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society – which aims to regulate, develop, lead and represent the pharmacy profession – to take action in order to prevent a similar incident occurring in the future.
The organisation has now launched an investigation which could potentially result in the suspension of Mr Rossier.
Earlier this year, coroner David Morris stated during an inquest that Mr Peckham would not have lost his life unless he had taken more than the prescribed dose of morphine.
He also alleged that the pharmacist had attempted to shift the blame on to his assistant.
Tags: Cambridge Evening News, Coroner, Inquest, Medication, Mistake, Morphine, Pharmacist, Pharmacy Profession, Rossier, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, S Hospital
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
June 12th, 2008
British Transport Police have launched an investigation after three people working on railway power cables were injured when they fell 20 feet from an elevated platform.
Network Rail said the workers were taken to hospital following the accident which occurred in Essex, reports the BBC.
Following the incident, the line which runs from London Liverpool Street to Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich was closed for over an hour and services were disrupted.
The workers had been making repairs after a train brought down a mile of electric cable on Monday (9th June), causing disruption to travellers.
Chris Allen, a paramedic with the East of England Ambulance Service said: "One man had suffered head and chest injuries and another suffered minor leg injuries."
Mr Allen added: "A third patient, approximately middle-aged, suffered head injuries and chest and leg pain and was flown to Queen’s Hospital, Romford."
In related news, a female Network Rail staff member was recently awarded £100,000 compensation after mistreatment by colleagues drove her to a nervous breakdown, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Tags: Ambulance Service, British Transport Police, Chest Injuries, Colchester, Daily Telegraph, Electric Cable, Head Injuries, Ipswich, Leg Injuries, Leg Pain, London Liverpool Street, Middle Aged, Nervous Breakdown, Paramedic, Platform Network, Power Cables, Quot, Rail Accident, Romford, S Hospital
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
