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Hospital agrees damages after Barrow teenager dies following fall |
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30 November 2007 |
Grieving parents from Barrow have just reached an out-of-court settlement with a hospital after their teenage son died whilst undergoing treatment in their care.
Michael Woodhouse, 15, was a patient at Papworth hospital in Cambridge, suffering from muscular dystrophy.
Grieving parents from Barrow have just reached an out-of-court settlement with a hospital after their teenage son died whilst undergoing treatment in their care.
Michael Woodhouse, 15, was a patient at Papworth hospital in Cambridge, suffering from muscular dystrophy. He was dropped while being lifted from his bed manually because there was no battery for the hoist, which should have been used. Both his legs were broken in the fall.
He was transferred to nearby Addenbrookes hospital but he contracted bronchial pneumonia and died three days later.
An inquest in September this year concluded that Michael died of natural causes, but his parents claim Papworth Hospital was negligent.
In a statement, Papworth hospital said: 'Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust wishes to express its sincere regret that, owing to the failure of a member of staff to follow the Trust's patient handling policy and her training, Michael Woodhouse fell whilst being moved from his bed and sustained fractures to both his legs.
'Following a full investigation into the events preceding Michael Woodhouse's fall, the employee concerned (a healthcare support worker) was dismissed for non compliance with Trust policy.
'The investigation reviewed the whole clinical management of Michael Woodhouse up to and including his transfer to Addenbrooke's hospital.
'Papworth Hospital would also like to express its sincere condolences to Michael's family following his subsequent death in Addenbrooke's Hospital from a respiratory infection.'
Michael's parents are Michelle and Wayne Woodhouse. They are convinced their son died as a direct result of the hospital's negligence and took their cause to clinical negligence lawyers Kester Cunningham John.
A legal case against the hospital was prepared but, after negotiations between the trust and the lawyers, the hospital has agreed to settle out of court for an undisclosed sum.
The Woodhouses' case has been managed by Sharon Allison of Kester Cunningham John.
'Michael was in hospital for investigations into breathing difficulties associated with his muscular dystrophy,' she explains. He was due to be discharged on the very day on which the incident occurred.
'His parents are obviously distraught at the death of their son in such tragic circumstances, in a place where he had gone in the hope of being made well. It's understandable therefore that they hold the hospital responsible for the catastrophe which as befallen their family.'
In a statement, Michael's parents said: 'It was a shock. We are still grieving and missing Michael terribly. No money will compensate us for our loss, but we felt we had to do something to stop this from happening to someone else.'
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