Hospital negligence leaves young mother braindead
Clinical Negligence News : 14 May 2012
A tragic hospital error has left a young mother of three in a coma-like state for the rest of her life. Nicola Crelling, then 27, was given 32 times the nomal dose of a drug which has left her severley brain damaged.
The lethal dose of misoprostol was administered to Ms Crelling at West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven to induce labour after being told by staff that her fourth child had died in her womb. Only a few hours after being given the drug, Mrs Crelling suffered a heart attack and a ruptured uterus whilst her brain was starved of oxygen. The tragic series of events left Mrs Crelling unable to walk or talk ,and needing full-time care for the rest of her life.
North Northumbria Hospitals NHS Trust has admitted that it had been medically negligent in administering the drug to Mrs Crelling and as a consequence, interim damages of £750,000 have been given to her family, although the final damages award is expected to be several million. The family of Mrs Crelling expressed anger that they had been forced to fight the trust for eight years to try to get compensation. The family’s lawyer, Marcus Nickson, has also criticised the NHS Litigation Authority, saying that it had tried to reduce the value of the damages, offering just 25% liability at the beginning and effectively trying to 'buy the family off as if it was a commercial dispute.'
Mrs Crellings husband, Steven, has given up work to care for his wife and children and has stated that the compensation will help Nicola to have “the best life as humanely possible.”