14th November 2024 – Our client, an elderly gentleman, developed pressure sores on his heels and sacrum during his admission to the Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham between May and July 2022
On 12.05.2022, he was admitted with worsening confusion, reduced mobility, shuffling gait, hypercalcaemia, sepsis, delirium, severe degenerative spinal diseas and cord compression. He was nursed on an Invacare mattress with regular repositioning directed.
On 22.05.2022, it was noted that his skin was intact but reddened in the sacrum area which was recorded as a category 1 pressure ulcer.
On 01.06.2022, our client was reviewed and assessed by a Tissue Viability Nurse (TVN) who noted multiple desiccated slough wounds in irregular shapes to both buttocks. Wounds were also present on the scrotal sack and the right heel.
The TVN provided a plan:- to leave the heel wound open, apply a heel lift boot and observe for changes daily; to apply flaminal forte to the sacral wounds at each 2 hourly repositioning; to ensure that the patient was on the correct mattress for his Waterlow risk assessment score; to follow the pressure ulcer management pathway; for district nurse referral on discharge.
There was a potted history of recovery and relapse over the next several months but eventually the patient was able to overcome the ulcerations.
The family however, were very disappointed with the level of care that had been given and wished to take action on behalf of older people in hospital care generally who may experience similar problems.
They consulted Fairweathers Solicitors LLP who very quickly assessed the case as having strong prospects of potential success.
We investigated the case and instructed a clinical expert in order to commence a claim with the Defendant Hospital Trust.
The Defendant on presentation of the evidence took the opportunity to conduct their own investigation.
Following this they accepted very quickly that there had been a failure to appropriately monitor the skin condition following the admission which caused the development of the ulcers which had gone undetected initially.
This was all in spite of an original risk assessment for the risk of pressure ulceration in this patient as well as a recognition of the danger of ulceration and the measures that needed to be taken. In the circumstances the parties were able to come to a relatively quick conclusion on compensation and the matter soon settled for £9000.00.
Fairweathers’ Solicitor Graham Balmforth, who took over conduct of the matter and concluded it commented:- “An unusual case in that the admission of the patient initiated a system of assessment which should have protected him from the development of pressure sores. What this case demonstrates is that if you reduce clinical care to a serious of checklists, it is never going to be enough, care requires monitoring as well as planning if such dangers are to be mitigated”.
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