The Medical Negligence team at Waldrons Solicitors recovered the sum of £47,500 for a man who was left with a pseudomonas infection after being treated with a contaminated cystoscope.
Background
Our client underwent a cystoscopy after noticing blood in his sperm. He underwent the cystoscopy at the Corbett Hospital in Dudley, which involved a cystoscope (a thin tube used to look inside the bladder) being passed into his urethra. Following the procedure, he developed symptoms of an infection, including sweating, shaking and pain on urinating. He had to be given intravenous antibiotics, and was told that he had a pseudomonas infection. Pseudomonas is a germ commonly found in soil and vegetation, and it can lead to serious complications if left untreated, particularly in the vulnerable.
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust carried out an investigation after pseudomonas infections were found in several other patients. It was found that the cystoscope had not been sterilised properly, and that the sink where water was obtained to clean the cystoscope was colonised with the germ. The Trust changed its cleaning techniques and started to use sterile water rather than tap water when cleaning.
Legal Proceedings
After being successfully treated for the infection, our client was scared about his condition and was anxious as to what risks he had been exposed to as a result of the Trust’s actions. He instructed Joseph Norton, Head of the Clinical Negligence Department and Managing Director at Waldrons Solicitors, to investigate a case.
An early admission of liability was obtained from the Trust, and expert witness evidence was obtained from experts in Psychology and Microbiology. The evidence suggested that our client had suffered a psychiatric injury as a result of what he had been through. The evidence also confirmed that the risk of him having caught any other conditions from the contaminated cystoscope was extremely low given the amount of time that had passed without incident.
On that basis, settlement negotiations were entered into with the Trust. After an opening offer of £5,000 was made by the Trust, discussions continued which saw the Trust increase significantly from their initial offer, eventually settling the case for £47,500. After settling his case, our client said:
‘Joseph was very helpful and understanding. He made it very easy for me to deal with. Excellent service all the way through. Everything was made easy to understand, always got a quick reply to any questions we had. Joseph was very helpful at all times, as were the rest of the staff.’
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