07.05.15
NHS pays £8m to woman left brain damaged after surgery blunder
A pregnant woman who was left brain damaged after doctors accidently punctured her heart during an NHS operation has been awarded £8m in compensation.
The woman, then 22 years old, was admitted into Salford Royal Hospital in March 2010 to deal with complications arising from an ectopic pregnancy.
During an operation, surgeons accidently pierced one of the chambers of her heart, causing “her circulation to collapse and her heart to stop”. Although doctors revived her it led to "permanent and severe brain damage", caused by oxygen starvation.
She now requires 24-hour care, will never work again and needs a wheelchair to get about.
With the help of her mother, the woman sued Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, which admitted liability in July 2012. A trial was due to start to assess the size of the pay-out, however a last minute deal was agreed between the trust and the woman’s legal team.
The court heard that she would receive a £2m lump sum plus annual, tax-free and index-linked payments to cover the costs of her care for life.
She will receive £220,000 per year to cover care and case management plus £16,500-a-year to meet medical, dental and other costs. She will also be paid £9,845 a year to compensate her for her lost earnings.
NHS barrister Sarah Vaughan Jones QC said: "I would like to offer an apology on behalf of the trust for the very sad events and express my admiration for the tremendous efforts by the family to make the claimant as happy as she could possibly be."
(Image source: David Dixon)
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