When Baby Thomas was born 10 weeks early, there was naturally concern about his well being, but in accordance with responsible practice he was put into an incubator and transferred to the specialist baby care unit of Greenwich hospital.
Tragically, he later developed severe spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, sustained as a result of periventricular leukomalacia – also referred to as PVL – which is essentially the death of vital brain tissue.
When the situation was investigated it was found that in accordance with procedure, Thomas’s blood gases were analysed around midnight on the day of his birth. The results showed that Thomas was at risk of developing hypocarbia, however instead of accepting those results, the registrar decided that there was a mechanical failure within the ventilator, and so did not change the settings on the machine. The result of this was that Thomas was exposed to excessive amounts of oxygen and not enough carbon dioxide for a period of around 9 hours. Thomas was left with severe brain damage and is unlikely to be able to lead a normal life.
While the hospital initially dismissed claims that it was guilty of failings, they ultimately settled four days before the case was due to go to court. They paid £2.25 million in addition to an indemnity against any private education costs limited to £120,000.
If you or someone you care for has been injured while in the care of a hospital, care home or any other medical facility, you could well be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Our solicitors have many years of experience in handling all types of claims, in particular those involving medical and clinical negligence and as such are best placed to talk through your case, free of charge, and help you decide if making a claim is the right way for you to proceed. It costs nothing to contact us, and you are under no obligation whatsoever to continue with a claim if you chose not to do so. Contact us today and let us see how we can help you get the pay out you deserve.