Colchester Hospital Agrees to Pay £5.5 Million Compensation Over Meningitis Treatment Delay

Colchester Hospital has agreed to pay a compensation of over £5.5 million at the London High Court after delays in treating a nine-year old meningitis patient meant that she was left with permanent brain damage. Ellie Sutton was eight months old when her GP suspected that she may be suffering from meningitis and recommended that her parents take her to the pediatric unit at the hospital. The doctors took her temperature and though they found it to be 39.9 degree Celsius, they decided to let her go even though their own guidelines suggested that any child with temperatures over 38 degrees should be admitted and observed hourly.

Even though Ellie’s mother took her to the hospital later in the evening, it was not until ward rounds 11 hours later that the doctors’ recommendations that her condition be investigated were followed. However it was too late by then and Ellie was left with brain damage.

The Colchester Hospital apologized for their procedural errors which, had they been avoided, would have resulted in Ellie making full recovery. The hospital also praised the quality of care that Ellie has been receiving from her parents and attributed her improved prognosis to their love and devotion.

Judge Anthony Seys-Llewellyn revealed that a lump sum of £2.4 million will be given along with life-long annual payments of £119,000 to help cover the costs of 24-hour care, therapies, specialist equipment and adaptations at home.



Source-Medindia