In a tragic medical negligence claim, a case has been taken against Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children on behalf of an 11-year-old girl who has been left with extensive brain damage after a botched operation.
Maisha Najeeb tragically had glue injected into her brain, rather than dye as intended, because the syringes were not properly labelled and were mixed up in the operating theatre.
Maisha suffers from a rare congentital condition in which arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) form in her skull. An AVM involves a person's arteries and veins getting tangled, which can cause bleeding with have serious consequences, especially if it occurs in the brain.
As a result of the incident, Maisha is now seriously brain damaged, with minimal mental and physical functions and blindness in one eye.
The medical negligence claim for compensation will no doubt be asking for a substantial sum in damages, considering the damage done to the child's life and the ongoing costs for her care into the future.
The Guardian reports that the hospital has indicated an intention to defend the claim. Whilst the occurrence and cause of the incident is not disputed by the hospital, it is likely that the case would focus on the degree of injury caused by the accident as compared to the damage resulting from her underlying condition.
Medical negligence claims are notoriously complex claims, and it is likely the case would be heard over many days in the High Court.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for the hospital indicated that the hospital has undertaken a review of the systems that led to the incident, and have implemented changes to improve those systems to prevent such an accident occurring in the future.
With proper marking of syringes being such a simple change to implement, it is hoped that the lives of other children will be saved as a result of this tragic accident.
Related links:
Read more on the story (Guardian)
Read more on medical negligence law (FindLaw)
Find local medical negligence lawyers throughout the UK (FindLaw)
