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Family receive £100,000 following their son’s death due to clinical negligence (27 March 2017)

Date: 27/03/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Family receive £100,000 following their son’s death due to clinical negligence

Seven year old Luke Jenkins, from Cardiff, died following heart surgery at Bristol Children’s Hospital in March 2012. Luke’s family have now been awarded £100,000 compensation for their son’s death.

Luke Jenkins had an operation to correct a congenital heart defect, and following the operation he was discharged from intensive care and admitted to Ward 32.

Problems arose because medical staff transferred Luke to Ward 32 too soon, misleading his parents into thinking that the ward was a high dependency unit. In reality, the hospital did not have paediatric high dependency beds at the time.

The parents noticed that their child’s health was deteriorating in Ward 32, however medical staff failed to recognise this, meaning Luke was never transferred back to intensive care.

Omissions in care and procedure have been identified by the NHS Ombudsman. Following this, the Trust admitted that there were failings in the care and treatment provided to the child. The Trust accept that they provided incorrect and incomplete information in response to the parents’ complaint regarding how the hospital was operating, and the ways in which their son did not receive the correct treatment.

The Independent Review into Cardiac Services concluded that Luke’s ward was often “under pressure” and that “the nursing numbers would have fallen below the recommended levels, on a reasonably frequent basis, and that there was a real risk of harm as a result.”

The review endorsed work being implemented to ensure safer staffing levels on wards caring for very ill children.

It is important for families to research a hospitals’ background of complaints to the fullest before they endeavour to take their loved one to a medical facility for treatment. In situations such as Luke’s, it is crucial that families raise complaints at the outset.

If you or a loved one are / have been involved in a similar situation, please contact one of our team of experienced Clinical Negligence lawyers for a confidential discussion.

Petia Georgieva, the author, is a Trainee Solicitor at Duncan Lewis, who is currently doing her second seat in Personal Injury. Petia speaks fluent Bulgarian and French at intermediate level. Petia is currently handling all aspects of Personal Injury matters such as road traffic accidents, employers’ liability claims and public liability claims.

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors

The Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence team has significant experience acting in a vast array of claims. Varying from accident and emergency failures to GP negligence claims, to misdiagnosed fractures to wrongful death matters claims. They also act for children and adults who have suffered profound and permanent brain, spinal or neurological injuries and associated disabilities as a consequence of failings in medical care in both NHS and private hospitals.

If you have any queries relating to Clinical Negligence or think that you may have a claim, please do not hesitate to contact our team of expert solicitors on 0333 772 0409.

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