Our medical negligence solicitors have secured a settlement to fund rehabilitation for a mother-of-two left unable to work after a botched surgical procedure to repair a prolapsed disc in her spine.
Pippa Scott-Cowan, a retired probation officer from Aberdare in Wales, first suffered back pain in 2007. She was referred for physiotherapy before being found to a have a prolapsed disc in 2009. An initial operation to fix the issue was a success, although her pain did continue.
After tolerating the pain for 3 years, Pippa collapsed in agony and passed out at home in April 2012. She was admitted to Prince Charles Hospital and received morphine for her pain. Hospital staff took tests and told Pippa that she had back spasms.
With Pippa’s condition worsening, her prolapsed disc was operated on again in September 2012 at Health Hospital in Cardiff. She suffered even more pain and numbness afterwards. A medical review and another surgery found that the first procedure had not repaired the prolapsed disc after all.
Pippa has been left in constant pain and is unable to work. She asked our surgery negligence lawyers to investigate her treatment and we found a number of issues with the care she had received. For example, the registrar involved with Pippa’s original surgery had failed to ask for help from a consultant – something that could have prevented her ordeal.
Our team negotiated a six-figure settlement for Pippa from the Cwm Taf Local Health Board which will pay for the support and rehabilitation Pippa needs as she works towards recovery.
Pippa said: “It was incredibly difficult time, not just for me but my family too. At the time my daughter was doing her A-levels so we were reliant on relatives to help us out.
“I tried to keep working despite the issues with my back and even switched to part-time in an effort to keeping going, but I was struggling too much and had to retire in February 2016.
“All of the problems I have faced are incredibly frustrating and I can’t believe the problems I faced during my surgery. All I’ve ever wanted to know was why the issues happened and now, following the settlement, I am keen to just look forward and put this behind me.”
Sara Burns, a partner in our medical negligence team, worked on Pippa’s case. “This is an incredibly worrying case in which a woman with a history of back pain has gone on to suffer further issues as a result of failings in care which should have been avoided,” she said.
“Sadly Pippa’s case is not unlike a great deal we see, with patients putting great faith in the expertise of medical professionals but going on to suffer as a result. It is vital that lessons are learned from a case of this nature so that patient safety can be improved and the same issues never repeated.”
If you or a family member has suffered due to mistakes made during surgery, our medical negligence lawyers may be able to help you make a surgery compensation claim. Contact us online to find out more.
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