Medical law experts at Irwin Mitchell have recovered compensation for a man who was one of many children to be misdiagnosed with epilepsy and given the wrong type of medication as a result.
Our client, Mr M, was among more than 600 children who were wrongly diagnosed with epilepsy by Dr Andrew Holton at Leicester Royal Infirmary between 1991 and 2001, some of whom now have serious medical problems.
Dr Holton was suspended by the General Medical Council in 2001 following revelations that he had mistakenly diagnosed 618 kids and prescribed 500 children the wrong medication.
Mr M underwent two EEGS upon Dr Holton’s advice, neither of which suggested anything out of the ordinary. But despite this, Dr Holton told Mr M’s mother that there wasn’t a decisive test for epilepsy and that this was the correct diagnosis.
He told Mr M’s mum that our client needed to start taking the prescribed drugs as soon as possible so that the epilepsy didn’t get deteriorate. Dr Holton warned that if his condition got any worse, Mr M could suffer from permanent brain damage.
Failing to mention our client’s development, Dr Holton said that the medication was to prevent his seizures. Because of this advice, Mr M was on anti-convulsant drugs needlessly for over four years.
He was represented by Anna Stacey, a clinical law expert at Irwin Mitchell. She said: “It was clear that the diagnosis of epilepsy was not sound. Mr M was not suffering from epilepsy.”
Irwin Mitchell secured £40,000 in an out of court settlement for Mr M. This came after the hospital admitted the mistakes that Dr Holton made with his treatment and diagnosis.
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.
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