A woman received £3.2m compensation following a delay in treating her eye condition which left her permanently blind, reported the BBC news.
The mum, in her 30s, started noticing her eyesight worsening, which prompted her first visit to the optician in June 2016, at which point she was diagnosed with glaucoma.
The mother of three was referred to Southampton Eye Hospital, prescribed eyedrops and informed that follow-up appointments are needed.
Sadly, by the time she was able to have an appointment in February 2018 with a senior consultant, she was registered blind. Her sight loss was irreversible.
Victoria Hydon of Moore Blatch solicitors and the woman’s representative has stated that the loss of eyesight has been “devastating” for her client.
Ms Hydon has highlighted that if her client had an operation by the end of 2016, her vision would have been saved.
An NHS spokesman explained that they are facing a “significant national problem”, with many delays and shortage of ophthalmic specialists.
An internal investigation in 2018 revealed that 15 other patients were left with worsened sight or blind due to the delays in recognising their risk factors.
The report also mentioned that more than 4,000 patients had not been checked as urgently as needed.
University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust has stated that they “have taken a number of steps to address the backlog in follow-up appointments”. (Quoted from the BBC News article)
They claim that all their patients have went through risk-assessment to make sure that the priority is given to those that need to be seen urgently.
They also point out that 88% of trusts have backlogs in glaucoma and diabetes with more than 80 consultant vacancies in England alone. This does not however, justify what happened to the patients whose delayed treatment resulted in worsening of their condition.
The tragedy that the mother has experienced could have been avoided. Unfortunately, she will now have to live without her sight for the rest of her life.
The compensation she received echoes the damage that has been done to her and will be crucial in helping support her needs.
If like her, you or your family member have experienced delay in your treatment, which has resulted in worsening of your condition, get in touch with us immediately.
We offer free consultation whether it is at your home, in Hospital, on Skype, Facetime or any other preferred method.
Our no win, no fee agreement means there is no financial risk for you. When the claim is successful, you will receive 100% of your compensation.
Fill out a claim form here or call our team on 0151 306 3694 to discuss your circumstances.