A 49-year-old delivery driver from Lower Edmonton was left with life changing injuries following treatment at North Middlesex Hospital. Due to the neglect of the surgical team looking after him, Michael Moore suffered compartment syndrome in his lower left leg, resulting in nerve damage, foot drop, ligament and muscle damage and considerable scarring.
Mr Moore was undergoing an operation to repair his bowel and bladder, but through the course of this procedure doctors failed to monitor the pressure in his raised legs. This resulted in compartment syndrome, which required emergency surgery to release the dangerous build up of pressure within the muscles of his left calf.
“As soon as I came round from the surgery I knew something was not right with my left leg. As the day went on the pain became unbearable.”
Despite his concerns Mr Moore’s compartment syndrome was not identified until two days later. By this stage the damage had already been done and it was a race against time to save his leg.
After emergency surgery doctors were able to save his left leg but this episode has left Mr Moore with irreversible damage and permanent mobility problems. Mr Moore was also faced with numerous operations, including a tendon transfer procedure, plastic surgery to reduce the scarring and further surgery to bury damaged nerves.
This ordeal left Mr Moore struggling to come to terms with his injury and looking for a new job.
“This injury has had a massive effect on almost every aspect of my life. To suddenly have no strength in my left leg or any movement in my ankle was extremely difficult to come to terms with, not to mention the constant neuropathic pain I was having to cope with on a daily basis. Every time I get up to walk I am reminded of my new limitations. It was the last thing I expected when I went to hospital for my operation.”
Faced with life changing injuries Mr Moore turned to specialist clinical negligence law firm Pryers Solicitors.
“I had lost my job, I was struggling emotionally and every day was a tremendous struggle. I didn’t know how I was going to continue. My wife has been there every step of the way but my limitations were causing huge strain on her. I knew I needed specialist equipment and probably adaptations to my flat but I just didn’t know where to start.”
Mr Moore was eventually able to get his life back on track after his solicitors managed to secure him a six figure out of court settlement. With this compensation he was able to obtain the specialist equipment he needed to make things easier for him.
Rob Maughan, Senior Solicitor at Pryers said “clearly, this injury should never have happened and no amount of compensation can ever make up for the impact it has had on this man’s life. Nevertheless, the settlement secured for Mr Moore has given him the chance to rebuild his life. I must say that he has shown tremendous resilience, and with the endless support from his wife, I am pleased to see that things are now looking a lot more positive for him.”
This is another example of a worrying trend in under resourced NHS hospitals. Mr Moore is keen to avoid it happening to others “I just hope that this whole episode acts as wake up call to those doctors involved, as well as the administrators at the hospital. It is unimaginable to think that this may happen to someone else.”
