An unconscious patient suffered debilitating and painful injuries when an errant saline bag caused a self-heating mattress to reach temperatures high enough to cause full thickness burns. It is believed the bag was accidentally left on a sensor that monitored the mattress temperature, leading to it providing an inaccurate reading that allowed the equipment to continue heating up.
Mike Wilcock, 56, awoke after a minor operation having suffered third degree burns to his hip and buttock as a result of the incident at Maidstone hospital. He had been under anaesthetic and hence had been unaware of what was going on and was therefore unable to alert medics.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust was ordered to pay almost £195,000 in fines and costs after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identified failings with the way the warming equipment was used.
The Court was told that Trust staff did not have sufficient information and training to ensure the heated mattress was used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
He required skin grafts at a specialist burns unit and was unable to work for almost five months. He also suffered a mild heart attack that was likely to have been attributed to the successive operations. The former sailing instructor has been forced to give up the life he loved because he is no longer able to sit in a boat, and has been left with permanent scarring.
After the hearing HSE Inspector Dawn Smith said; “Mr Wilcock suffered a serious debilitating injury that was entirely preventable had the Trust implemented a better system and procedures to ensure the warming mattress was used correctly. While the precise circumstances of what happened are somewhat unusual, it is entirely foreseeable that failing to ensure that staff know how to use a piece of equipment may have a negative outcome.
If you have been injured while in the care of a hospital, clinic or any other medical or care establishment, you might be entitled to claim for compensation. It might seem challenging to claim against people who were trying to help you, but if they have made mistakes that you have to live with then you should be compensated for their blunders. Contact one of our highly experienced solicitors today to see how we can help you get the pay out you deserve.