Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust Compensation Claim

If you have been injured whilst in the care of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust you may be entitled to make a medical negligence compensation claim. To discuss your options with a specialist solicitor, call Quittance on 0800 376 1001.

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Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (2002) - Case Study

An 82-year-old claimant was awarded damages of £229,010 following a stroke brought on by the discontinuation of her treatment at a hospital within the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.

When the claimant was discharged from hospital, her anticoagulant therapy was discontinued. Shortly after being discharged, the claimant suffered a severe stroke.

The stroke left the claimant with permanent brain damage. She could no longer perform daily activities such as walking, getting in and out of bed, sitting up and bathing. The claimant required assistance using the bathroom, and was no longer able to swallow food. Food was administered via a tube passed into her stomach.

The stroke also affected the claimant's ability to communicate verbally. She could no longer understand speech and was unable to talk to her family and caregivers. However, she almost certainly understood what was happening to her. An independent medical report determined that likely that the claimant had a severe level of anguish because of her inability to speak or look after herself.

Before the stroke, the claimant had been living independently. She had been able to shop, cook and care for herself unassisted, and was still driving her car.

Following the stroke, the claimant needed full-time residential care. She was transferred to a nursing home where she was expected to spend the rest of her life.

Compensation award

It was established that medical staff at the hospital should have been aware that stopping anticoagulant therapy puts patients at high risk for stroke or systemic embolism. The Court found in favour of the claimant.

The Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust were ordered to pay damages of £229,010. The basis of the total compensation amount was set out as follows:

• Pain, suffering and loss of amenity: £60,000
• Care costs: £63,675
• Future care costs: £82,794 (a multiplier of 4.19 was applied by the Court to account for the claimant's higher risk of stroke due to a pre-existing heart condition)
• Medical expenses: £1,725
• Future medical expenses: £2,075
• Travel costs (past and future): £7,291
• Miscellaneous expenses (past and future): £2,000

Making a compensation claim against Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

Making a claim for medical negligence against an NHS hospital does not need to be a daunting prospect. Although NHS Trusts are often large, complex organisations, a specialist

Your solicitors have extensive experience securing NHS negligence compensation.

Call Quittance's expert team on 0800 376 1001 to discuss your options, or use our online compensation calculator for more information.

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Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher

About the author

Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.