An “extraordinarily brave” girl who lost all four limbs will receive a multimillion pound payout after she was wrongly discharged from hospital.
The child, who has not been named publicly, was taken to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey with “red flags for meningitis and sepsis”, including a high temperature and heart rate, leg pain and drowsiness after vomiting.
Despite her alarming symptoms, she was discharged after being administered paracetamol, The Metro reports, and following a second trip to A&E was diagnosed with meningococcal sepsis. The child was then quickly taken to the paediatric intensive care unit at a nearby hospital, where she suffered from multiple organ failure and received several procedures including skin grafts.
After the diagnosis, she had to undergo amputations above the knees of both of her legs, as well as above the elbows on both of her arms. On Friday (Jan. 27), the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust admitted to liability, agreeing to a £39 million settlement to be paid throughout the child’s life.
Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC said: “It’s a very sad case in which the claimant sadly lost all four of her limbs after not being diagnosed promptly enough in relation to meningitis. She is an extraordinarily brave little girl who is managing in school to do very well academically.”
During the meeting, the barrister said that as well as needing the amputations, the child also had gained scarring over her body.
“This child’s injuries and severe disabilities were completely avoidable with proper care,” said Deborah Nadel, from the law firm Fieldfisher, who is representing the girl and her family. “All the red flags for meningitis and sepsis were there for doctors to see. Specific protocols for treating these illnesses exist to protect patients and doctors, but they only work if they are followed.”
The court also heard an extract from a letter written by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust’s chief executive, Neil Dardis. Addressing the child’s parents, Dardis apologised, adding that her care “fell below the standard (the girl) was entitled to expect” and that she should never have been allowed to leave the hospital.
“There is no amount of money that can truly compensate for her injuries,” said Bradley Martin KC. “She will have access to the care and technology she needs.”
