Settlement Approved By High Court Of Justice Will Help Provide For Daughter’s Future

The devastated family of a London man who died after sub-standard treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, has had a settlement of over £4 million pounds approved by the High Court Of Justice after the NHS Trust responsible for his care admitted liability for his death.

In 2011, the 34-year-old man, who had previously been healthy, collapsed following a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain and nausea. 

He was transported to the hospital by ambulance and diagnosed with pancreatitis at the hospital, which was operated by the South London Healthcare NHS Trust at the time, but he was not then provided with the adequate treatment including fluids and analgesia.

Staff at the hospital failed to monitor his condition correctly and he experienced periods of hypovolaemia, a shock condition that means the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood around the body.

His family was so concerned about his deteriorating condition that they attempted to transfer him to a private hospital but this was delayed by the hospital staff and by the time he was transferred to the Princess Royal Hospital, received fluids and was provided with appropriate treatment, it was too late and, despite the efforts of the medical and nursing staff at the Princess Royal Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital where he was subsequently transferred to, he tragically died on 9 February 2011.

The family’s specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have now agreed a settlement for the man’s family from the South London Healthcare NHS Trust.

Compensation recovered for his family includes a substantial award for their dependency on his lost earnings. The seven-figure settlement will now help to provide for their future, and in particular the future of his young daughter. 

An internal investigation into the treatment the man received at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich found that there were failures in his care and that there should have been closer liaison between the two hospitals, when a transfer was being arranged.

After the family turned to Irwin Mitchell for help, the South London Healthcare NHS Trust admitted liability for the man’s death and accepted that, on the balance of probabilities, with the appropriate treatment the patient would have survived and made a full recovery.

Marcos Eleftheriou, a specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the family, said:

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“This was a tragic death that could and should have been avoided. The NHS Trust found that with the correct treatment he would have survived.

“Sadly, he was not provided with suitable treatment and tragically passed away, leaving behind his wife and young daughter. It has been an incredibly difficult few years for the family and they continue to struggle to come to terms with the impact of his death.

“We are glad the settlement has now been approved as the family can live safe in the knowledge that their future is secure. While no amount of money will change what happened, the family is thankful that the Trust’s investigations identified a number of failings in care, which they hope will now have been corrected so other families do not endure the same heartache in the future.” Marcos Eleftheriou - Senior Associate Solicitor

If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of hospital negligence, we may be able to help you claim compensation. See our Medical Negligence Guide for more information.