Family Instruct Expert Medical Negligence Lawyers To Investigate Her Care

An inquest hears that a mother-of-two died from complications following routine knee replacement surgery at a Birmingham hospital.

Judith Parker, from Shirley, in the West Midlands, was admitted to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital on 7 October 2014 for a knee replacement operation; after the surgery her condition rapidly declined and she was taken to the High Dependency Unit (HDU).

The 67-year-old’s health did not improve and she had to be put into a coma and transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Sadly, Judith passed away on 29 October 2014.
Her heartbroken husband, Brian, has now instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care by the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.

The inquest into her death took place today (1 April) at Birmingham Coroner’s Court and HM Coroner for Birmingham and Solihull, Louise Hunt recorded a narrative conclusion of complications following knee replacement surgery. Mrs Hunt recorded the cause of death as: multi organ failure, pneumonia and pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs) and recent total knee replacement. She commented that Judith’s lack of response to treatment was most likely due to an underlying respiratory condition.

Mark Cawley, a specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, representing the family, said:

Expert Opinion

“Judith’s family have been left absolutely devastated by her death. This is a very difficult time for them and whilst the inquest has provided some answers to the many questions they had, they remain concerned about the care she received shortly before she died.
“We will continue to work with the family as they come to terms with this tragedy, as well as investigate Judith’s death further to help them understand exactly what happened.” Mark Cawley - Senior Associate Solicitor

The family would like to thank the press for respecting their privacy at this very difficult time and will not be available for comment.

If you or a loved one has suffered due to a delayed or misdiagnosed medical condition, our medical negligence solicitors could help you claim compensation. See our Medical Misdiagnosis Claims page for more information.