Over Three Million Sterling Compensation for Hospital Negligence

Mark Thomas has just been awarded £3.2million in compensation for failure to diagnose meningitis, compounded by the fact that the victim was turned away from Walsall Manor Accident and Emergency Department and his parents were admonished at the time for ‘misusing the emergency services’.  It took a second opinion five days after the initial hospital visit to determine that Mark Thomas had meningitis.

In this tragic case, Mark Thomas has been left with brain damage and no short term memory and will never be able to work or live without a carer. The NHS trust involved has apologised to the family.

Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Some of the common symptoms include headaches, neck stiffness, fever, confusion, vomiting, and light or noise intolerance. Meningitis is  life-threatening and has a high mortality rate if untreated and delayed treatment can result in brain damage.  Wide-spectrum antibiotics are therefore normally prescribed immediately, even before confirmatory tests are conducted.