Mrs Edith Jones, 81, attended the A&E Department of Doncaster Royal Infirmary complaining of abdominal pain, diarrhoea and loss of appetite. Medical staff diagnosed diverticulitis and Mrs Jones was discharged four days later.
After a month Mrs Jones was readmitted to hospital with similar symptoms and vomiting. A CT scan revealed possible gall stones and she was discharged to await an appointment for MRCP (Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography) to confirm the diagnosis.
The MRCP was not performed for six weeks, by which time Mrs Jones’s health had deteriorated noticeably. The MRCP confirmed gall stones and an urgent removal procedure was requested. Sadly Mrs Jones died before the procedure could be carried out. The cause of death was found to be sepsis due to a bacterial infection caused by gall stones.
Mrs Jones’s daughter contacted Irwin Mitchell Solicitors to make a claim against Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, alleging that the six week delay between the CT scan and MRCP was the cause of her mother’s death, or that it materially contributed to the fatal outcome.
With the help of her solicitor Georgina Sheldon, Mrs Jones’s daughter received £5,000 in compensation.