The incident
In 2020, our client was diagnosed with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO) where a blood clot forms in the main vein of the eye.
She had a hospital appointment in August, where Lucentis – a drug injected into the eye to treat macular degeneration, was discussed and a follow up appointment was arranged.
By September, our client’s visual acuity had dropped. Intravitreal injections were discussed again but not administered.
Another follow-up was arranged and the first three injections were administered in late October, late November, and mid-January of the following year.
In a follow-up, our client’s visual acuity had improved and stabilised. A left eye Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO) with macular oedema was diagnosed. A BRVO is when branches of the retinal vein are blocked by a blood clot causing blood to spill out into the retina leading to macular oedema
A further appointment was arranged, but our client was lost to follow-up and had to be re-referred in September 2022, after trying to make contact with the hospital. Her vision had dropped again by this point, with widespread macular oedema (swelling of the retina).
She was seen in October 2022, but the fourth injection was delayed until mid-November. However, there were problems contacting the patient. This meant there was a total of 20 months delay between injections, where our client suffered a significant loss of vision.
The aftermath
The negligence had a substantial effect on our client’s life. Tasks such as cooking, or even making a hot drink have become difficult. Navigating her way across the road is also now extremely challenging.
She has also suffered psychologically, resulting in depression and anxiety. And there has been an impact on her social life, as she feels she is unable to leave her house, missing out on social occasions, as well as meeting with friends and family.
The client has two grandchildren, who she used to take out all the time; however, she is no longer confident in doing this as she is scared to cross the road with them.
The case
Following our investigations, our allegations were as follows:
- From diagnosis of CRVO with macular oedema, there were two follow up appointments discussing treatment. This meant that there was a three-month delay in commencing the injections.
- The client’s eye condition was stable after three injections. She was supposed to be reviewed in six weeks but was lost to follow up for 18months. She was found to have lost significant vision in her left and a scan revealed chronic changes.
The case outcome
Medical Negligence Solicitor, Priya Singh was successful in proving that negligence had taken place, and our client received a significant settlement of £42,000 for her eye injury claim.
If you’ve experienced medical negligence, get in touch to see how we can support you. Call us on 0330 107 0054 or start your No Win No Fee claim online.