Mother receives £30,000 settlement after hospital admits leaving swab in patient following c-section
26/08/2010
A 28-year-old woman, who suffered from excruciating abdominal pain after surgeons left a swab inside her following a caesarean, has been awarded £30,000 in an out of court settlement for medical negligence.
Amy Callaghan from Rugby, Warwickshire, was left in agony after surgeons left a swab inside her following the birth of her first child, Tegan, on 2nd December 2007.
The ordeal meant that she also missed her daughter’s first Christmas as she underwent surgery to have the swab removed following weeks of pain and discomfort.
Ms Callaghan was admitted to Coventry and Warwickshire’s University Hospital to undergo an emergency caesarean after her labour failed to progress. After spending three days on the post-natal ward, she was sent home on 5th December.
Just two weeks after leaving hospital, Amy began to feel stabbing pains in her right side. She was in terrible pain and could feel a lump in her abdomen. She raised her concerns with her midwife but was told that there was nothing to worry about.
Amy’s condition gradually began to deteriorate and she constantly felt unwell, experiencing dizzy spells and finding it difficult to move.
By Christmas Eve, Amy’s condition had not improved and, unable tolerate the pain any longer, she spoke to her GP who examined her and urgently referred her back to University Hospital.
An x-ray and ultrasound scan later revealed that a swab from the caesarean section had been left inside her and needed to be removed as soon as possible. She was told to stop breastfeeding Tegan due to the antibiotics she required.
She underwent surgery on Christmas Day to have the swap removed, leaving her partner to look after Tegan on Christmas Day.
University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust has accepted for Amy’s injuries and has awarded her £30,000 in an out of court settlement.
Commenting on the ordeal, Amy said: “The birth of my first child should have been a time of great excitement but instead it turned into a nightmare. I was so ill after Tegan was born. I was trying my best to be a good mum but I was in such agony that I hardly had the strength to look after myself let alone her.
“I’m very angry that all the pain and heartache I suffered was caused by such a basic error which should never have been allowed to happen.”
Guy Forster, a medical negligence expert with Irwin Mitchell Solicitors said: “There was clearly a fundamental failure to properly care for Amy during the initial surgery. In addition to the need for an emergency operation, Amy has been left traumatised and is at a greater risk of developing problems in the future.
“Mistakes like this simply should not happen. We very much hope that this incident has prompted the hospital to re-evaluate its safety procedures during surgery to ensure that lessons are learned and such an error does not happen in the future.”
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