We pursued a hospital infection
claim for Mrs Lock who contracted MRSA at Whipps Cross Hospital
after a hip replacement operation. The hip became infected and
eventually Mrs Lock had to have the hip removed. Mrs Lock received
£400,000 damages for the hospital's negligence and the injuries she
suffered as a result.
Mrs Lock, then aged 67, had been suffering from unilateral
arthritis for approximately two years when she was admitted to the
Whipps Cross Hospital for an elective right total hip
replacement in September 1994.
Four days after the procedure, the surgical wound was found to
be oozing and a swab was taken which indicated that the wound was
infected with MRSA. The doctor recommended intravenous
antibiotics but treatment was not commenced for a further eight
days.
In November it was discovered that Mrs Lock's hip
was infected with MRSA and during a three month
re-admission to the Whipps Cross Hospital, the hip was revised.
MRSA was again found in the prosthetic hip in late 1998 and
during a further three month admission the prosthetic hip was
removed. On this occasion the hip was not replaced because of the
risk of a recurrence of the MRSA infection.
It was alleged that the Mrs Lock should not have been admitted
to the Whipps Cross Hospital for the elective total hip
replacement, given the history of MRSA infection on the surgical
wards.
There were also a number of allegations concerning the
post-operative care Mrs Lock received, in particular the delay in
administering appropriate antibiotics and the failure to perform a
radical excision and irrigation of the wound on 27 September
1994.
We were instructed to act on Mrs Lock’s behalf. Proceedings were
issued on Mrs Lock’s behalf in October 1999.
The defence included a limited admission concerning the
post-operative delay in administering antibiotics. However it was
not until November 2000 that the defendant admitted full causation
for the intractable MRSA infection.
The defendants agreed to settle the claim settled shortly
before trial and Mrs Lock was happy to accept £400,000 damages. The
defendants also paid all of Mrs Lock's legal costs.
For further information or if you have a hospital infection negligence claim please
call Paul McNeil on
020 7861 4019 or email paul.mcneil@ffw.com
You can discuss your hospital
infection negligence claim with any member of our medical negligence team on freephone
0800 358 3848, email personalinjury@ffw.com or
complete our short enquiry form.