£25k damages recovered for avoidable pressure sores

We have recovered £25,000 from London Northwest Healthcare NHS Trust for the avoidable pain and suffering of our client’s late mother, Mrs B, after she developed pressure sores while under the care of the district nurses employed by Ealing Hospital NHS Trust (now London Northwest Healthcare NHS Trust).

Our client’s mother had a significant medical history and had been living with our client since she had a stroke in 2005. In early 2011, she developed a pressure ulcer which became infected so she was placed under the care of the district nurses. 

On reviewing our client’s mother, the district nurses failed to identify that she was at high risk of developing pressure sores and an appropriate care plan to prevent these from developing was not put in place. 

Without appropriate care, Mrs B developed severe and excruciatingly painful pressure sores to the gaiter aspect of her right leg and on her right heel. The district nurses failed to adequately respond to the evolving picture of Mrs B’s condition and she was eventually admitted to Royal Free Hospital via Accident and Emergency as she had deteriorated to such an extent that her right leg was thought to be gangrenous and amputation was considered. 

Such events were, understandably, very distressing for our client who repeatedly raised concerns over the standard of care provided by the district nurses to her mother.

The sores continued to cause Mrs B pain and discomfort in the final year of her life until she sadly passed away 10 months after the initial sores developed.

We wrote to the trust to set out the allegations of negligence in relation to Mrs B’s nursing care. Following investigations by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA), it was admitted that the care provided by the district nurses failed to meet the minimum level of acceptable care in Mrs B’s case and that the pressure sores should have been avoided.

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