Posted by Simon Elliman, Partner
£10,000 award for delay in diagnosing and treating a heel pressure sore
Simon Elliman secured £10,000 for a claimant who had developed a pressure ulcer on his heel whilst recuperating in hospital following hip replacement surgery. He had tried to alert staff to the pain he was feeling in his heel whilst recuperating on the ward but the staff failed to investigate the area. By the time staff removed the bandages to investigate the site the pressure sore was over 7 inches long.
Expert witnesses in the case were strongly of the opinion that the hospital had failed to follow its own pressure sore prevention protocol and had failed to properly monitor the patient’s condition after his surgery.
The pressure sore meant that the patient required heel guards and special footwear. It complicated his recovery from the hip surgery as he was unable to mobilise with his affected heel. He was advised that the heel would always be prone to further tissue breakdown in that area as a result.
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