33-year-old awarded £24,500 after hospital’s DVT diagnosis failure
31st March, 2019
News

Written by

Hannah Luscombe - Associate & Senior Solicitor

A construction owner who suffered unnecessarily for months as a result of NHS Trust failings, has received £24,500 after two NHS Trusts admitted liability.

The 33-year old Claimant received his monies after Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust admitted liability for failing to communicate laboratory blood tests and not determining the results in order to diagnose deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

As a result of the Defendants’ negligence, the Claimant would have been diagnosed with DVT much sooner and received anticoagulant therapy months before he was eventually treated.

The Claimant would have avoided a pulmonary embolism which lead to avoidable anxieties as a result of six months of hospital admissions and tests.

Senior Solicitor, Hannah Luscombe, who represented the Claimant on behalf of Patient Claim Line believes the settlement should go some way to making up for the loss of earnings.

She said: “My client suffered a significant impact as a result of the negligent treatment with being unable to work. He suffered a loss of earnings which impacted on his livelihood and I am delighted to have recovered these losses for him, together with further compensation for his unnecessary pain and suffering. I hope that my client is able to put this behind him and wish him all the best for the future.”

On 7 July, 2017 the Claimant underwent a left knee arthroscopy and medial meniscal repair.

Three days later, the Claimant was admitted to the accident and emergency department at The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals complaining of pain radiating up his left calf.

On examination, it was noted that his knee was horribly red and swollen with the Claimant unable to put substantial weight on his left leg.

At the time, a possible diagnosis of DVT was noted and the Claimant underwent haematology tests which confirmed plasma d-dimer concentration of 2548. He was transferred to Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Upon attending Poole Hospital, the Claimant was reviewed by a junior doctor who advised him to keep the leg elevated and apply ice, however there was no mention of the elevated d-dimer concentration.

The Doctor suspected the Claimant was suffering from post-operative pain and discharged him.

On 17 July, 2017, the Claimant had his sutures removed and on 21 July he attended his GP with ongoing pain in his knee.

He was then referred to a DVT clinic and on 24 July the Claimant attended The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital where he underwent blood tests and an x-ray.

The results of the x-ray showed a pulmonary embolus, following which he was admitted and treated with a therapeutic dose of heparin which was then converted to Rivaroxaban.

After further review on 2 August at The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals, the Claimant was advised that the wound and his lungs were clear, but he was to continue taking Rivaroxaban.

It was admitted by the Defendants that there was a failure to communicate blood test results from the laboratory to the clinician on 10th July and a further failure by the Defendants to determine the results of the blood tests and to consider a diagnosis of DVT.

It was admitted there was a failure to refer the Claimant for an ultrasound scan on 10th July 2017 to confirm the diagnosis of DVT and commence appropriate treatment with anticoagulants.

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