Settlement awarded to family of much-loved mother who died due to a catalogue of failures

The family of Ms N have been awarded compensation as a result of the series of failures which led to her tragic death.

Ms N had been admitted to the hospital, complaining of stomach pain and discomfort. She underwent a CT scan, which was misreported by the radiologist, resulting in Ms N receiving the incorrect treatment.

As a direct consequence, Ms N’s underlying condition was not appropriately treated, and she sadly deteriorated over a number of months.

By the time the error in the reporting of the CT scan was noticed, Ms N’s condition was so poor she was severely malnourished, developed hospital-acquired pneumonia, and sadly passed away.

During investigations, it was discovered that not only was the CT scan misreported by the radiologist, but the Hospital Trust had missed several opportunities to reconsider Ms N’s diagnosis, given that she was not responding to the treatment provided. There were failures to review abnormal blood test results and act upon GP urgent referrals. In conclusion, the substandard care by both the radiologist and the Hospital Trust resulted in Ms N receiving inappropriate treatment, which culminated in her tragic demise.

Ruth Houghton advises: “This was a very sad case in which there had been numerous failures by the treating healthcare professionals to either correctly diagnose the deceased or reconsider a diagnosis and treatment plan. Ms N’s death was completely avoidable, and had she been afforded the care she should have been, she would not have died. This is something her family will carry with them for the rest of their lives. The compensation awarded does not in any way reflect their grief; it is simply a small token of justice for the loss of much-loved mum and grandmother.”

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