Re: Possible medical negligence

Hope someone can help with problem on behalf of a friend of mine.
Her mum went into hospital as a day case for facet joint injections.
She signed the front *** of the consent form stating that she
consented to being injected on her LEFT side. However she was injected
on her RIGHT side.
She has just got the paperwork through from the hospital and really
would like to know if there is a case for complaining and indeed if it
would actually be taken that seriously as it was a minor procedure.
The patient care plan admission notes state the procedure was for facet
joint injections on the LEFT side. however the 2nd page of the consent
form (the bit patients don't get to see) and written in different
writting has a circle indicating R for the right side. On the theatre
record notes there is no tick to say if the operation site was marked.
And it wasn't. The operation care plan confirms with a YES that correct
site surgery checklist commenced. Yes to the consent form being signed
and countersigned. Yes also to consent checked by Scrub Practioner.
Operating theatre Nurse report which is typed in bold, states LEFT LFJ
INJECTIONS.
It was about an hour after this procedure that my friends mum went to
the toilet and discovered a plaster covering the injection site was
indeed on her RIGHT side.
She did query this at the time with the hospital staff and being
elderly didn't make much of a fuss.
The DR was contacted via a telephone call and in the notes it says he
is adamant that the correct side was injected and was told to reassure
the patient who he will see in clinic - at some point in the future!
Thank goodness that it wasn't a serious mistake. But it is still a
mistake despite ALL the paperwork supposedly being checked. Plus the
sheer arrogance of the DR who couldn't even be bothered to come and see
the patient himself.
Hope that there is someone out there who can help and whether this need
to go further.


If you want to make a difference then write to the Chief Executive of the
hospital stating that you want to make a formal complaint with a view to
establishing what went wrong, and what changes can be made to their
procedures to prevent a reoccurrence. Specifically state that you are not
seeking compensation. When I did this I found the response was very
positive. A meeting was held with the hospital and a full apology given. As
a result they made fundamental changes to their procedures and they sent me
a copy of the documentation regarding it.

Peter Crosland


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