£20,000 obtained for delay in eye treatment

Julie Crossley, an associate in Ashtons Medical Negligence team, has obtained £20,000 for a lady who was left with permanent eye damage after she was misdiagnosed with a cluster headache.

Mrs A developed severe facial pain radiating from the right eye which got progressively worse overnight. She felt hot, unwell and was unable to see out of her right eye. Mrs A contacted her GP to request a home visit as she was too unwell to travel.

The GP noted Mrs A’s history of suffering from migraines and diagnosed a cluster headache.

Mrs A’s symptoms continued to worsen the next day when she was advised to go to the out of hour’s service at her local hospital, where she saw an eye specialist who diagnosed Mrs A with Acute Closed Angle Glaucoma.

Mrs A had emergency surgery to get her eye pressure under control.

As a result of the diagnosis delay, Mrs A now suffers from glare and now has to wear dark glasses and use low lighting indoors.

Mrs A was awarded a settlement of £20,000.

Julie comments: “We often see patients misdiagnosed due to their medical history. Unfortunately on this occasion, Mrs A would have made a full recovery if she had been correctly diagnosed by her GP.”