Settlement in bowel surgery case against King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Deborah Nadel achieved a £135,000 settlement for a 69 year old gentleman left with lifelong injuries following bowel surgery at The Princess Royal University Hospital (part of King's College Hospital NHS FT).
Peter* lives with painful and debilitating side effects following a routine operation to remove a polyp five years ago. He has endured multiple follow up surgeries but will never fully recover from his injuries.
He struggles psychologically to accept what has happened to him and to adjust to his new life with his injuries. Prior to the surgery, Peter, was a self-employed personal trainer, but his ability to meet the physical demands of this role have been greatly impacted and he has not returned to his former employment.
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust denied that a breach of duty during his treatment caused Peter's health complications. But following negotiations, Deborah secured a settlement of £135,000 from the Trust for Peter that will help to compensate him for the injuries and loss of income he suffered..
After the first surgery Peter developed severe symptoms, such as frequent, loose bowel motions with occasional blood, resulting in severe weight loss and anaemia. Despite multiple medical interventions, his condition worsened, he developed sepsis, came close to death and ended up having to undergo emergency surgery for a bowel perforation and an extended ICU stay.
Over the next three years, Peter struggled to adapt to life with a stoma and the ongoing issues. He had several additional surgeries – including an attempt to reverse the stoma – which caused damage to his ureter and delayed reversal of the stoma. Fortunately, his stoma ended up being successfully reversed but he still suffers from some incontinence, has had to change his diet and is susceptible to adhesions and hernias, which may require treatment in the future.
The hospital investigated the complications in Peter's first surgery and an initial report suggested that if a stoma had been formed when the post-operative problems first started, he could have avoided all the further complications. A subsequent investigation report changed these findings to suggest conservative management was appropriate. Deborah's investigations into the care suggested the management was inappropriate and had caused Peter substantial suffering.
Before his illness Peter was very social and involved in the community, including singing in a choir but the impact of these events meant he withdrew from many of the groups and activities he used to enjoy. He has only recently started to return to some of his former activities. He said the ordeal has put immense strain on his personal relationships and has "destroyed" his "emotional and physical confidence".
Peter thanked Deborah for her "excellent" job in fighting his case and securing the settlement. He added: "It was a pleasure to work with you. I'm incredibly grateful to you, and your team, for helping me get to this point.
* Name changed
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