Sandra* suffered two strokes in less than two weeks, both of which could have been prevented with medication. We helped Sandra’s family claim compensation after she sadly passed away a year afterwards.
What Happened To Sandra?
Sandra made many visits to her doctors and hospital due to issues with her heart and breathing before she was referred to see a Cardiologist in January 2018.
In April 2018 Sandra saw a Cardiologist who said she was at risk of a stroke. They told her that she had to start taking a medication named Warfarin, a blood thinner, indefinitely. However, there was a delay in referring Sandra to the anticoagulation clinic. Despite an annual review noting that Sandra was still was not taking Warfarin, there was further delays when it was decided a Cardiologist must still confirm that she required the medication.
In June 2018 Sandra's son took her to A&E because she was showing signs of a stroke. CT scans showed Sandra had indeed suffered one. Doctors admitted her onto a stroke ward for observation.
A week later, Sandra suffered another stroke. CT scans showed changes in her condition. The hospital made a further referral to the anticoagulation clinic and requested she started taking Warfarin as she was at high risk of another stroke.
Sandra began taking Warfarin a month later but unfortunately, she passed away the following year.
Helping Sandra’s Family Get The Compensation They Needed
Sandra’s family came to us to start a compensation claim and to help prevent the same happening to someone else.
Jenna Harris, who is part of our medical negligence team, handled their situation from start to finish.
After looking into the details of the situation, Jenna was adamant Sandra’s strokes were avoidable. If the original doctor had made sure Sandra started taking Warfarin without delay, the risk of suffering strokes would have been far less.
There were two NHS Trust’s involved in Sandra’s care. The first NHS Trust stated that an urgent fax referral was sent to a second to start Sandra on Warfarin, but it was rejected as it needed to be in writing. A typed letter was sent some time later. The second NHS Trust stated that the faxed referral would not have been accepted for several reasons and they asked the first NHS Trust to put the referral in a typed format.
Before any further action, both NHS Trusts decided to settle the claim. Sandra’s family received compensation for the mistakes made.
On representing Sandra’s family, Jenna said: “These situations are never easy for the family. It was a privilege to represent Sandra’s family during this difficult time.
“The strokes suffered by Sandra were avoidable, but due to mistakes by medical staff, the right care wasn’t given to her. Although no amount of money can make up for what has happened, Sandra’s family can focus on remembering Sandra.”
Get In Touch
If you or a loved one has suffered because of medical negligence, our specialist teams could help you to claim compensation.
Call our experts free on 0808 231 1840 or you can request a call back.
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