Woman's leg amputated after botched knee op

A woman who had to have her leg amputated after a botched knee operation has won compensation from the hospital trust.

The 69-year-old, who has not been named, underwent an operation in 2021 at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, near Hull, to replace a prosthetic knee she had had for more than 15 years.

However, the surgeon's drill slipped, damaging nerves and blood vessels which led to her needing an above-knee amputation after emergency repair surgery failed, said her lawyers at Hudgell Solicitors.

A spokeswoman for Humber Health Partnership, which includes Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: 'We are very sorry for what this patient has been through."

Solicitor Sam Darwin, a medical negligence claims specialist who represented the woman, said: "This was a life-changing surgical error as a result of the procedure not being conducted with enough care.

"It was simply unacceptable and we were pleased that the trust made immediate admissions once our case was put to them."

The woman spent four months in hospital undergoing rehabilitation and recovery before she was discharged and now has to use a wheelchair.

"I went in for an operation which was supposed to give me better mobility and ensure I was able to maintain my independence, but it ended up taking almost everything from me," she said.

She took legal action against the hospital trust in a bid to get compensation to cover the cost of future care support and equipment to improve her quality of life.

She said that as a result of the error she had "really struggled physically and psychologically", including trying out prosthetic legs which "kept falling off because of how high the amputation is".

"I'm still angry and bitter," she added.

Her husband, who had cancer treatment through the NHS, said: "As a family, we've also benefited from excellent NHS care, so I just feel my wife has been so badly let down by an individual."

He said on the day of the operation he was "told nothing other than she was in recovery".

"I can never forgive them for that and I don't think relatives and patients should be treated in that way," he said.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "While every procedure is undertaken with the intention of providing safe, effective care, we recognise that things can go wrong.

"When they do, we are committed to being open with patients and families, investigating incidents thoroughly, and using the learning to reduce the risk of recurrence.

"We have worked with the patient's legal representatives to reach a fair settlement, but we recognise that compensation cannot change what has happened or fully address the impact on the patient and her family."

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