Medical Negligence Lawyers Join 21-Year-Old In Raising Awareness Of Life-Threatening Condition

A West Lancashire woman is calling for lessons to be learned after a Hospital Trust apologised for failings in her care which led to a 24-hour delay in her being treated for sepsis.

Ella Watts, from Skelmersdale, attended the A&E department at The Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan with flu-like symptoms, chest pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.

She was triaged as a category three patient and advised it would be over four hours before she would be seen by a medic. Under the impression that there was no real need for her to be at the hospital, Ella, who was 17 at the time, returned home.

Ella develops respiratory failure from sepsis

By the following day, her condition had deteriorated. She attended another hospital. Ella was put on intravenous (IV) fluids and diagnosed with acute kidney injury secondary to sepsis – when the body attacks itself in response to an infection.

Ella was admitted to the high dependency unit and then transferred to intensive care.  A line was inserted into her femoral artery to help manage her condition.  She subsequently developed respiratory failure.  She needed assistance with her breathing and was administered antibiotics.

Ella was discharged home one week later.  Now aged 21, she continues to suffer psychologically, developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following her time in hospital.

Ella asks lawyers to investigate hospital care

She instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care under the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which runs The Royal Albert Edward Infirmary.

She’s now joining with her legal team at Irwin Mitchell in marking World Sepsis Day by warning of the dangers of the life-threatening condition and the signs to look out for.  

Call for lessons to be learned after lawyers secure Ella a settlement

She’s also calling for lessons to be learned. It comes after the Trust admitted that when Ella attended A&E, she should have been triaged as a category two patient instead of category three.  Had this happened, she “would have been seen within 60 minutes” and “treated 24 hours earlier” than she was.

The Trust has now paid an undisclosed settlement to Ella and apologised for “failings in care” provided to her.

Zoe Donohue is the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Ella.

Expert Opinion

“In the years following her diagnosis, Ella has struggled to come to terms with what she went through.

“She’s also understandably had a number of concerns around the care she was provided with and how her condition deteriorated.

“We therefore welcome the Trust’s admissions that Ella should have been seen and treated earlier. It’s now vital that lessons are learned to improve patient care for others.

“We also join Ella in raising awareness of the dangers of sepsis. It’s a very serious and sometimes life-threatening condition, with early diagnosis and treatment key to beating it.” Zoe Donohue

Medical negligence: Ella Watts' story

Ella was 17 when she attended the emergency department with her mum, Julia Watts, on 8 December 2018.

She was diagnosed with sepsis the next day, suspected to be as a result of a chest or urinary tract infection.

Ella began treatment for respiratory failure on the intensive care unit on 12 December.  She was transferred to a ward on 17 December and discharged home two days later when she had completed a course of antibiotics.

Ella was extremely weak when she was sent home from hospital and her parents had to provide her with a lot of care and support. 

Ella is now completing a law degree but her studies were delayed as a result of her illness. 

Ella reveals impact of sepsis as she supports awareness campaign

Ella said: “When I initially went to the hospital, I knew I was unwell but trusted the staff knew what they were doing.  When they said I wouldn’t be seen for more than four hours, I assumed they didn’t think anything was seriously wrong.

“Over the next 24 hours, my condition got worse and I was diagnosed with sepsis.  It came as a huge shock and I was terrified as I had heard how serious it could be.

“That wasn’t the end of it though, as I deteriorated further and ended up in intensive care. To this day, I still can’t believe how quick it progressed and how close I was to dying.

“It still haunts me every day and I’ve really struggled to get over the trauma of what I suffered.

“While I’m incredibly grateful to still be here, it could have ended very differently.  I hope that something is learned to help stop others from going through a similar ordeal in the future.

“Sepsis can kill quickly, so I hope that by sharing my story I can raise awareness of what it can do and how to catch it in time.”

Julia, aged 47, added: “It was one of the hardest times we’ve endured as a family and has had a lasting impact on us all, but the most important thing is that by speaking out we try and stop this happening to other people. We know we are all very lucky the outcome wasn’t fatal and that others haven’t been this fortunate.”

More information about sepsis and the symptoms

Signs of sepsis include slurred speech, confusion, extreme shivering and muscle pain, passing no urine in a day, severe breathlessness and mottled or discoloured skin.

World Sepsis Day takes place on 13 September.  For more information visit www.sepsistrust.org

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in supporting people and families affected by sepsis at our dedicated sepsis claims section. Alternatively, to speak to an expert contact us or call 0370 1500 100.