Local Woman Suffers Neglect in Hospital

A woman in her 80’s fell in her home in Wakefield, fracturing her left hip. She was taken to a local hospital where she had an operation to repair her hip on the next day. However drinks were left on the table at the end of her bed out of reach and untouched. She was given no food at all for three days running.

A woman in her 80’s fell in her home in Wakefield, fracturing her left hip. She was taken to a local hospital where she had an operation to repair her hip on the next day. However drinks were left on the table at the end of her bed out of reach and untouched. She was given no food at all for three days running. Her sons and daughters felt compelled to visit at every opportunity in order to try to make sure that she received enough food and drink.

She was at very high risk of falling again due to her age, confusion and her recently broken hip. However, no steps were taken to try to lessen the chance of another fall. As a result she fell and broke her femur. It was then a further six days before they operated on that hip to repair it. During those six days they did not stabilise the hip or give her adequate painkillers. She was also cared for by staff who were untrained in the proper way of turning a person with a broken hip.

Unfortunately she never recovered. As is so often the case, when a person goes through a traumatic event such as this, she declined mentally. There were lots of other contributing factors to her mental decline but the family felt that the fall was the leading one. She lived the remainder of her life in hospital and rehab units.

Her family approached Liddys Solicitors who wrote a letter of claim to the hospital. To their credit, over time, the hospital admitted their failings although they denied that her mental decline was in anyway related. As a result it took nearly three years of litigation and court proceedings were issued before any kind of settlement was offered. Even then the offers received were 50% of what the case eventually settled for.

She died less than a year after her falls but on her behalf, her family pursued the claim and received damages of £20,000.

Doctors and nurses do a very difficult job, and most of the time they do their job very well. But when they do not, the effects can be devastating for the patient and their family. It is then right that they receive damages to help them pick up the pieces and put their life back on track.

At Liddys Solicitors, attention to detail is standard. You will have the help of a solicitor with at least eight years’ experience so that the full losses are correctly recovered. If this case is similar to yours or you feel you have suffered due to clinical negligence, call us on 01226 731314.