Man Sues Hospital for Public Liability Claim
A man who was left paralyzed after being given the incorrect antibiotics is launching a public liability claim against the hospital trust involved.
The medical negligence problem started for the man, who is a diabetic, when he suffered a bout of pneumonia during a holiday in Lanzarote with his wife two years ago.
The couple returned home just five days into their month-long holiday and the man, who had a kidney transplant 10 years ago, was admitted to the Hospital.
He was discharged to his home in County Durham, two days after his admission and given medication to last another week.
However, within hours of going home he was suffering from “terrific pain” and could not get out of bed. He was swiftly taken back to hospital before being transferred to the intensive care unit of the hospital.
He was found to be suffering from kidney failure and he was once again moved, this time to the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle.
He said: “When I was at the Freeman Hospital I was told I had been given an antibiotic that was unsuitable for me as a person with kidney disease.
“I was virtually paralyzed and needed everything doing for me. I could only breathe, speak and blink. I thought I was going to die.”
Now the 58-year-old cannot leave his home, as he is unable to take more than a few steps at a time, even after months of intensive therapy.
He is now making a personal injury liability claim against County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.
He added: “I would not want this to happen to anyone else, not even my worst enemy.”
According to his wife, “It seems like such a careless mistake that has completely ruined our lives,” she said.
Updated on 03/03/2010