Penningtons wins claim against South London Healthcare NHS Trust for preventable bowel perforation

Posted: 19/10/2012

Penningtons Solicitors LLP has secured £35,000 compensation in an out-of-court settlement against the South London Healthcare NHS Trust for a patient who suffered a preventable bowel perforation.

The patient was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, London, with suspected appendicitis. During surgery to remove his appendix, it transpired that his symptoms were actually caused by an inflamed small bowel, indicative of Crohn’s disease. Rather than removing the inflamed section of bowel, the surgeon decided to put him on medication for Crohn’s disease. He was discharged from hospital but was readmitted the following day with severe abdominal pain and vomiting.

It transpired that his bowel had perforated causing extensive peritonitis. He required surgery to repair the damage and had to be fitted with a colostomy bag. He remained in hospital for a month and was unable to work for over a year.

Penningtons’ clinical negligence team obtained independent evidence from an expert in surgery who supported a claim against the hospital. The case was funded with a conditional fee agreement and court proceedings were served on the defendant hospital trust setting out the failures in their care. The trust made a sensible offer to settle two months later.

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