When Doctors Get Things Wrong
Last updated at 12:00, Tuesday, 02 February 2010
Advertising Feature. Even with the very best of intentions on the part of doctors and nurses, occasionally not everything happens as planned and mistakes are made. Sometimes these mistakes can have minor consequences and sometimes they can have devastating effects on the life of the patient who suffers them. These mistakes are classified as medical negligence or clinical negligence and it is only right that the patient receives a full explanation of exactly what happened, what went wrong and who was to blame. It is also only right that the patient receives the maximum amount of compensation concomitant with the damage inflicted by the negligence.
One example of how simple clinical negligence can have a devastating effect on a patient’s life is demonstrated by the case of Phillipa.
Cauda equina syndrome is an extremely unpleasant and potentially dangerous condition in which the nerve roots at the base of the spinal canal stop functioning. This can have a number of causes including a tumour, but a common cause is a slipped disc. Patients with Cauda equina syndrome present with various symptoms, but pain and incontinence are common. The condition is readily confirmed by an MRI or CT scan. Early stage treatment is essential and should never be delayed by over 48 hours.
When Phillip turned up at hospital with pain and sudden double incontinence they gave her an x-ray and sent her home telling her it was just muscle pain. Now Phillipa’s double incontinence is permanent and she suffers from continual pain.
Her case was handled by Patient Lawyers. The hospital agreed that they had failed in their duty of care and that they should have carried out the correct procedures and operated immediately to relieve the pressure on her nerves.
An out-of court settlement was made and Phillipa received an apology from the Hospital Trust.
Naturally Phillipa’s life will never be the same again, but the compensation that she received will help make her life more bearable than otherwise it might have been. Having learned its lesson, it is also extremely unlikely that the hospital will make the same mistake again. An excellent resource providing help and advice on how to cope with medical negligence is provided by Patient Lawyers.
First published at 14:04, Monday, 01 February 2010
Published by http://www.cumbrialife.co.uk
