Patient dies after delay in diagnosis of kidney infection
31/07/2006
We found you very professional as well as approachable, helpful and caring. We can now move on and look forward to a more stable and secure future. I am sure that this would not have happened without yourselves being involved.
Jayne, Evesham
An eighty-seven year old lady from Aberdeen died from a fatal kidney infection - just two days after being refused an ambulance.
Her family are now calling for an Investigation.
The lady called helpline NHS 24 - previously NHS Direct, after suffering agonising pain in her lower abdomen. She was told not to call an ambulance.
NHS 24 is manned by nurses who use their judgment to assess caller's symptoms.
A doctor who saw her at home diagnosed trapped wind and told her to take pain killers. She died in hospital 48 hours later from a kidney infection.
A week ago a sheriff ruled the helpline had tragically failed two other critically-ill patients in Aberdeenshire, who might have lived had their fatal conditions not been misdiagnosed.
One - a lady whose meningitis was misdiagnosed. Her symptoms of stiffness in her neck and aching arms and legs were attributed to flu-like symptoms. At hospital she was diagnosed with the brain disease meningitis and she died hours later.
And the other - a man who was seriously ill and died after making three phone calls to the helpline. He was advised to wait to see a doctor wait until his doctor's surgery opened.
Specialist clinical negligence solicitor Jonathan Peacock said "Negligence in elderly care is increasingly becoming a problem. In this case more care and attention and simple treatment could have avoided a fatal misdiagnosis"
Back to news
If you would like us to provide you with advice with regard to your potential claim, please complete our brief claim form. We will reply to your enquiry within one working day.
Fill out our quick claim form
If you would like to speak to someone directly about your claim, please call our friendly team on:
0870 024 0558