Boyes Turner’s medical negligence lawyers secured a compensation settlement for the family of a 94-year-old man after negligent nursing care in hospital led to the development of a pressure sore, bone infection and amputation.
The elderly man had a history of venous ulcers to his legs. His condition was normally managed by the district nurses. On admission to hospital for unrelated treatment he had one small ulcer on his right leg which was healing. During his admission, failings in nursing care led to the development of an additional pressure sore on his right heel. However, when he was discharged home, and back under the care of the district nurses, they found that the pressure sore on his right heel had become infected. The district nurses were unable to control the infection. On readmission to hospital he was found to have osteomyelitis (infection of the bone) and required an above-knee amputation. As a result of the amputation, he was no longer able to live independently and was moved to a hospice, where he died a few months later.
His family asked us to pursue a claim against the hospital on behalf of his estate. We pursued a claim on the basis that if our client had received an acceptable standard of nursing care in hospital he would not have developed the pressure sore or the resulting amputation. The claim concluded successfully with a negotiated compensation settlement.
