£165,000 awarded for NHS medical negligence claim
If you require medical care or advice from a professional, you will rightfully expect to receive a high standard of service. While we are lucky that this is usually the case in the UK, there are circumstances in which the quality of healthcare can fall short. Such failings or mistakes may have disastrous outcomes and, if you are a victim of such medical negligence, you or your loved ones may be entitled to make a medical negligence claim. This was the case for a victim of several failings at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and the executors of his estate were able to make a successful medical negligence claim as a result.
The victim in question suffered numerous recurrences of alleged medical negligence over a number of years during his care at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. He was receiving aggressive cancer treatment for an adenocarcinoma (a form of lung cancer) and underwent extensive surgery. However, the patient was the victim of medical negligence from the very outset as he did not receive sufficient pre or post-operative checks. Eventually, he was admitted to the Plymouth hospital in an emergency with severe abdominal pain and an anastomotic leak was confirmed. A standard Hartmann procedure was undertaken and he developed a wound infection. The Hartmann procedure was reversed but there was catastrophic bleeding when the inferior mesenteric vein was damaged during the surgery.
Despite showing signs of infection following this second surgery, the patient again experienced medical negligence as he was discharged to then be admitted the following month with a second leak, widespread infection and the formation of an abscess caused by both the leak and ureter damage. A nephrectomy took place for a chronically infected right kidney. These undetected leaks meant infection and malignant cells were disseminated to other parts of the body causing sufficient harm. A Biopsy confirmed recurrent adenocarcinoma at the site of the colorectal anastomosis. Sadly the patient later died.
In this sad case, the medical negligence claim was made on behalf of the executors of the estate and the widow of the victim for failure to diagnose and treat with appropriate procedures and surgery. It was a complex medical negligence claim, including general damages; special damages; loss of financial dependency; damages for bereavement; damages for pain, suffering and loss; funeral expenses and compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.
GA Solicitors worked tirelessly to put the medical negligence claim together and secured testimonies from numerous medical and care experts to determine what had gone wrong and the resulting impact of any malpractice. Despite liability being denied, a settlement of £165,000 was negotiated and agreed by GA Solicitors. While this settlement is certainly no substitute for the life of the patient, the successful medical negligence claim goes some way towards providing comfort for his family at an incredibly difficult time.
If this example of medical negligence in Plymouth has struck a chord with you and you or your family has been a victim of malpractice, you could also be eligible for compensation. Our specialist team of medical negligence solicitors have experience securing sizeable sums for victims and their loved ones. To speak to a member of our specialist team and discuss your next steps, call 01752 203500 or email enquiries@GAsolicitors.com today.
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