Legal News

In a clinical negligence case a baby who was denied NHS treatment because her parents’ immigration status despite the risk that she could have become paralysed has now been operated upon by the hospital.
Sanika Ahmed was born in Hampshire to Bangladeshi parents but was denied treatement because their visa had expired. The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Middlesex initially refused her treatment.
The eight-month old was suffering from Erb's palsy and unless she had nerve graft surgery before she was nine months old, it was unlikely she would ever regain movement in her arm.
Her parents Syeda and Muhammad Ahmed employed clinical negligence solicitors to begin legal action to reverse the heartbreaking decision ahead of a judicial review.
However before the deadline for surgery, the hospital had a change of heart and decided to treat Sanika, who is now ten months old and recovering in plaster at home.
The mother of the child released a statement through her solicitors saying that the operation had taken place only because the publicity and that she wanted to thank everyone who had helped Sanika in her case.
She continued that the publicity was mostly positive and her family was please and surprised at how much support she had received from so many people and the media.
The result of how successful the operation has been would only be known six weeks from 22nd April when the surgeon would tell what was next for Sanika.
The surgeon was very happy with the way the operation went. He was very angry in the beginning and was asking why treatment had not started. When he heard about the problem straightaway he said there must be an appointment and that he wanted to see Sanika immediately. Within a week the appointment came through.
The family, which includes Sanika’s brother Shuhani (now 3 years old) and sister Fariha (now 21 months old) who were born in Poole NHS Hospital, have applied for permission to permanently remain in the UK. Muhammad had worked legally in the UK until August 2009.
Clinical negligence solicitor for Sanika said that the Middlesex hospital’s decision to resume NHS treatment was “marvelous news” as without further treatment she would have faced with a life of permanent disability and paralysis of her right arm through no fault of her own. But now she has every chance of making a full recovery. It is the outcome they all wanted for Sanika