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In January 2009 a medical negligence claim was instigated after a misdiagnosis at a hospital in Birmingham.
In 2007, a 71-year-old woman collapsed with abdominal pain after returning from a holiday in the Lake District. She was taken to hospital where doctors made various diagnoses of obstructed bowel and food poisoning, but the real cause was missed.
When the more serious diagnosis of a twisted bowel was finally made two days later, an operation was performed and surgeons removed six feet of gangrenous bowel. Unfortunately, the previously healthy woman did not regain consciousness and died three weeks later.
Bowel problems are particularly serious, as tissue in the bowel can quickly become necrotic if left untreated.
A blockage or obstruction can be caused by tumours, hernias, scar tissue, hardened faeces, gallstones and foreign bodies. A twist in the bowel can also cause an obstruction, or if the bowel wall slides over itself in a fold. Bowel hernias, twists or folds may cause a disruption in the blood supply and if this occurs, gangrene (the decaying of dead tissue) can set in within as little as six hours.
An obstruction in the small intestine usually causes cramping pains in the navel region, vomiting, severe constipation (if the obstruction is total) or diarrhoea (if the obstruction is partial). The abdomen may become distended and tender. A blockage in the large intestine usually provides similar symptoms but with more gradual onset, and may not include vomiting.
At the Birmingham inquest into the 71-year-old woman's death, a narrative verdict was recorded. The coroner said, "Over the 48 hours Mrs Kane's condition deteriorated, important warning signs were not picked up." Yet he did not find that the hospital's failures constituted neglect.
The daughters of the woman, one of whom is a nurse, have said they found "discrepancies" in their mother's notes.
The woman's widower spoke of his medical negligence claim to a local newspaper. He said, "The family plans legal action; not for the money, but because it is the only way to make the hospital take notice."
Medical negligence claims with the experts at YouClaim
Our medical negligence solicitors are amongst the most experienced in the country and are governed by the strict and exacting regulations of the Law Society. We understand the distressing nature of making a claim for compensation following a personal injury caused by healthcare negligence and we take steps to guide you sensitively through the whole procedure.
Whilst the complexities of medical claims prevent us from stating that you will not be charged any legal fees, we assure you that we will advise you of any charges before you commit to them and in a won case we will always reimburse you.
If you wish to discuss a medical negligence claim, please call our confidential UK helpline now on 0800 10 757 95 or you can request a more convenient time when we can call you back. Alternatively, fill in the online claim form and we will look into your case before we call you to discuss it further. Above all, at YouClaim we are here to help.
