In July 2012 C attended A&E having suffered a stroke. She was misdiagnosed and discharged. It was admitted that she should have been admitted to hospital and referred to the on-call medical team.
Less than 48 hours later C suffered a second stroke leading to increased neurological impairment.
It was agreed that C would have been treated with aspirin if she had been admitted to hospital after the first stroke but it was denied that aspirin would have had any impact on the second stroke.
At trial in Cardiff County Court and after detailed consideration of academic research into the role of aspirin in prevention of early recurrent stroke, HHJ Harrison found that C would have been treated with aspirin 38½ hours before the second stroke. The Judge found that C could not prove that aspirin at that time would have prevented the second stroke but found that the absence of treatment with aspirin made a material contribution to the severity of the second stroke.
C was awarded £150,000 damages.
Charlie Woodhouse was instructed by Sonia Fu at Thompsons (Bristol).
Clinical negligence, Thompsons, misdiagnosis
