Hospital Patient Receives £17,400.00 After Anaesthetic Error

Medical Negligence Solicitor, Chloe Sullivan, successfully secured a settlement of £17,400.00 for a patient who recently experienced an anaesthetic error during hip replacement surgery.

What Happened

Prior to our Client’s surgery he was required to undergo spinal block testing to ensure his anaesthetic was appropriately administered. Our Client was asked to perform a leg lift which he was able to clearly carry out on two separate occasions indicating that the anaesthetic had not been effective. Despite this, he was sent for surgery to proceed with the hip replacement.

At the time of the surgical hip incision our Client suddenly woke into consciousness and was in severe pain indicating that the spinal anaesthetic block was not working well enough to complete the procedure. The anaesthetic team immediately induced general anaesthesia and the surgery proceeded.

As a result of our Client becoming conscious during surgery he unfortunately went on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder.

How Chloe Helped

Chloe was able to successfully argue the anaesthetist’s failure to adequately test the pre-surgery spinal block which caused our Client to experience a painful awareness during surgery. In addition, the anaesthetist was also responsible for carrying out sensory tests which he failed to perform. Had he done so, this would have alerted the anaesthetist to the fact that our Client’s anaesthetic was not effective.

Chloe was able to secure treatment in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy for her Client who was experiencing distressing flashbacks and anxiety. Despite suffering with PTSD for a number of years post-surgery, his CBT treatment significantly improved his psychological condition and he was able to make a relatively good recovery.

The Result  

Chloe successfully argued that our Client was owed a duty of care by the Defendant Trust which was soon admitted in full once the Claim had been lodged. In addition, it was also admitted that as a result of their negligence our Client became conscious during the first incision of surgery. After extensive negotiations Chloe was able to secure an award of £17,400.00 for the pain, suffering and financial losses endured by our Client.