Woman left nearly blind wins £200,000 in compensation after hospital delays

A woman who was left nearly blind partly because of a delay in hospital treatment has been awarded £200,000 in compensation due to medical negligence.

Susan Clarke, 58, was awarded the damages in October after Northern Lincolnshire and Google NHS Foundation Trust admitted their care contributed partly to the loss of her sight.

Ms. Clarke’s condition was also worsened by an unrelated stroke and cataracts but said her vision is now so limited she can’t go out by herself, watch TV or be alone in her house. She also has to rely on her grandchildren to help her when she is out as she “can’t see cars or buses coming.”

The problems started when Ms. Clarke developed a diabetic eye condition known as diabetic retinopathy in 2011 and was placed under the care of the Diana, Princess of Wales hospital in Grimsby.

Because her condition was worsening and following a review in the hospital’s eye department in May 2013, a follow-up appointment was to be arranged to take place within the next six months. However, Susan wasn’t seen until December 2014 – 19 months later.

Susan then started medication to prevent further progression of her disease but was left nearly blind because of the delay in treatment. Talking about her loss of sight, Susan told Grimsby Live: “I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. I wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone at all. I get ever so mad about it.”

Susan described what happened to her as “disgusting” and now wants to raise awareness so other people affected by similar medical problems might seek the answers they deserve. She added:

“Now that I’m partially sighted I have to have the grandchildren with me all the time.

“I can’t go out on my own I have to have my grandkids — I can’t see cars or buses coming. I can’t watch TV, I can’t read.”

Susan instructed a law firm to represent her in a claim for medical negligence in December 2015 and a settlement was reached last month, October 2023.

Having been put on notice of the claim, the hospital admitted they failed to provide Susan with the appropriate standard of care but denied that their failure contributed to the full extent of her loss of vision.

However, Susan was awarded £200,000 in damages to help pay for her ongoing care.

A Trust spokesperson told Grimsby Live:

“We would like to apologise for the delay in treatment Ms. Clarke experienced. As a consequence, we acknowledge she has gone on to suffer some problems with her vision. We made early admissions in this case and we’re pleased that now this matter has reached a conclusion.”

What is medical negligence?

Medical negligence is when a medical professional fails to diagnose or delays adequate treatment which contributes to the deterioration of a patient’s condition. Medical negligence could be committed by doctors, nurses, physicians or even administrative staff within a healthcare setting.

It could involve delays in referrals, scans and other investigations which contribute to a delay in treatment or diagnosis. It can also include medical professionals overlooking symptoms or records that are re-reviewed at a later date and urgently acted upon once the delay has been identified.

How to make a claim

If you feel that you have been affected as a result of late diagnosis or incorrect or inappropriate treatment, then you may be entitled to bring about a claim for compensation. At present, a medical negligence claim needs to be made within a three-year period of the declared event.

To place a medical negligence claim, you will need to prove the following:

• The medical professional owed you a duty of care and breached it by failing to exercise a reasonable standard of care
• The breach of duty caused you an injury or damage that would not have occurred otherwise
• The injury or damage was foreseeable by another medical practitioner

Who can make a claim

The patient who has been affected may be able to make the claim. However, if a patient has passed as a result of the disease, the next of kin/dependents or the executor of the estate may be able to bring about a claim.

How to make a claim

If you believe you could be entitled to compensation as a result of medical negligence, legal experts at Oakwood Solicitors will be happy to review your case. The team will be able to give you free advice on the prospects of your case and whether you would be eligible to make a claim.

Oakwood Solicitors has a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years’ of experience between them in running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of clinical and medical negligence.

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd wishes to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon or medical terms that they don’t understand and aims to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.

Relevant reading

Medical misdiagnosis or delay – Oakwood Solicitors

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