Compensation news
04/10/2010

Drug error leads to £15k clinical negligence payment

A drug error by hospital staff which led to the death of a patient at Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, has resulted in a clinical negligence payment to his widow.

The 65-year-old man had been admitted to the hospital in September 2006 with breathing difficulties and was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia, but he was treated with a combination of drugs which led to a heart attack and his subsequent death less than a week later.

The hospital has now admitted making a mistake in giving him a combination of sedatives and painkillers, Lorazepam, Tramadol and Haloperidol, all of which are known to restrict breathing.

In a statement, the hospital apologised to the family and said that the correct checks had not been made to ensure that another sedative drug had not also been prescribed. It said doctors and other prescribers had been reminded of the need to avoid drug error.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust agreed a £15,000 out-of-court personal injury compensation payment to the man's family because of the clinical negligence of its staff.