NHS Negligence?

adzii_nufc · 20-11-2011, 08:27

My Grandfather had a stroke over a month ago which led to him being hospitalised for a few days (Didn't seem too Major) They ran numerous tests on him and found nothing. 3 days passed and he started complaining of a numbness in his right leg. The Walk in centre sent him directly to the Hospital once again in which they again ran tests and this time came up with a blood clot in his right leg, He underwent surgery and in the words of the Nurse that spoke to us 'It was a success'

Barely 4 days had passed and my Grandfather had been sent home in an unbelievable state in which He couldn't walk and could barely talk. He wasn't eating and barely slept. We tried for days on end to get him back into Hospital but they claimed he simply needed rest. We then got a Doctor out 4 different times over the space of a week. Finally on the fifth time The Doctor called the Hospital directly and requested they set up a bed ready and wished to talk to the surgeon from his previous op directly. They refused and simply said send him to A&E. We phone for an Ambulance and end up in A&E with a man that cannot walk and who's health was deteriorating rapidly. 3 hours later we finally were seen too and simply directed to the ward and bed the doctor had requested earlier! They again ran some tests and found 2 Blood clots in the leg this time with one being the original. So the operation was not at all a success. He slowly got worse and it came to drastic measures when we suggested the right leg could be amputated. We received a reply of ''Don't be silly, That's a last resort''

The following day we went in to visit and found that overnight and up until we arrived (2pm) The Staff had in fact done nothing?... Upon asking why he couldn't be operated on again we received no straight answer with multiple people telling us completely different things. We left the hospital and 2 hours passed when we received a call telling us we were required at the hospital as he took a serious turn. He had 3 heart attacks and his organs were failing. They said they should have amputated the leg the night before.

We arrived in the room and about 2 minutes passed when sadly after 2 weeks of pain and suffering he passed away at the age of 61.

He was completely fine up until the leg went numb and it took less than 2 weeks for it to reach this.

The NHS have some questions to answer and what route would I take in pursuing Legal action?

EDIT: Also forgot to mention, 2 hours after we witnessed the death we were in a side room in which we were approached by the surgeon who got down on one knee to my Grandmother and said something along the lines ''I am truly sorry but your husband has passed away'' ''we know.. we saw'' To which he tried for 5 minutes trying to rectify his mistake.

Kingofthedead4 · 20-11-2011, 08:33

Immediately get the press and a solicitor involved, absolute disgrace, You have my deepest sympathy. I hope that the surgeon in question is struck off.

**Russ** · 20-11-2011, 08:49

The problem here is verifying what was said and by who. The NHS is notorious for closing ranks and you'll find that certain staff will have absolutely no recollection of saying thing that you claim they did and will often go as far as saying "I'd never say that" etc.

I had a similar issue 3 years ago (albeit on a lesser scale) when my local hospital messed up my sleep apnoea diagnosis, doctors and nurses swearing blind they did not tell me things when I remember as clear as day what they said. Some were even standing there lying to my face that they didn't say certain things and denied ever meeting me before.

I'm not saying all NHS staff are like that but unless there's a verifiable record of what was said, it's the easiest thing in the world for them to simply deny it. And if you kick off about it, they simply regard you as an upset patient (or a relative of one) who wants someone to blame.

adzii_nufc · 20-11-2011, 08:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ

The problem here is verifying what was said and by who. The NHS is notorious for closing ranks and you'll find that certain staff will have absolutely no recollection of saying thing that you claim they did and will often go as far as saying "I'd never say that" etc.

I had a similar issue 3 years ago (albeit on a lesser scale) when my local hospital messed up my sleep apnoea diagnosis, doctors and nurses swearing blind they did not tell me things when I remember as clear as day what they said. Some were even standing there lying to my face that they didn't say certain things and denied ever meeting me before.

I'm not saying all NHS staff are like that but unless there's a verifiable record of what was said, it's the easiest thing in the world for them to simply deny it. And if you kick off about it, they simply regard you as an upset patient (or a relative of one) who wants someone to blame.

Indeed which is the worry I am having at the moment. All I'm hearing is as soon as their necks are on the line they all group together and didn't do, hear or say anything. Once the funeral and such is out of the way we will then consider the options available to us and what can and what cant be used against them.

**Russ** · 20-11-2011, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by adzii_nufc

Indeed which is the worry I am having at the moment. All I'm hearing is as soon as their necks are on the line they all group together and didn't do, hear or say anything. Once the funeral and such is out of the way we will then consider the options available to us and what can and what cant be used against them.

I'm really sorry to hear what happened to your family and I hope it gets sorted but just bear in mind my example. Most front-line NHS staff are used to getting abuse from the public (unacceptable if it is not their fault) so a lot of the time they're happy to tell patients and their families whatever they want to hear to pacify them. I became used to this happening so often that whenever I called my surgery and hospital about my apnoea I'd ring from my mobile which had the facility to record calls. At the start of the call I'd let them know I was recording the conversation and advised them I'd have to problem in using it in a complaint against them if it turned out they were misleading me. Amazingly all the answers I had from then on were straight and to-the-point.