Payout for Bilston mother paralysed after op
A mother of two from the Black Country has secured a multi-million-pound payout after a routine operation to remove a cyst left her paralysed.
Hazel Spence, aged 35, who is unable to move from the waist down, says her life has been "ruined" after mistakes made by a doctor at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham.
The former beauty therapist, of Bilston, has now agreed a settlement after the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust admitted responsibility for the mistakes.
The operation went well, but problems arose when a junior doctor tried to unblock a drain put in her back to remove fluid. If he had removed and replaced it she have fully recovered within days experts at law firm Irwin Mitchell claim.
She says the cash will allow her and her children Dante, aged 15, and Kyishane, aged 11, to move into a specially adapted home, cover the costs of childcare, fund rehabilitation and support for the rest of her life.
Ms Spence was admitted to the hospital in 2006 to remove a benign cyst between her shoulder blades. However, within days she lost feeling in her legs, was unable to walk. Ms Spence now relies on a wheelchair.
Ms Spence said: "The last six years have been absolutely horrendous as I've struggled to come to terms with the fact my life will never be the same again and I can no longer do simple everyday tasks that get taken for granted.
"It's been heartbreaking to see my children struggle to understand why their mum can no longer play with them and chase them round the garden."
The hospital said it strives to deliver the best quality care but admitted in Ms Spence's case that was not achieved and apologised. Officials said they wished her well for the future and hoped the settlement would provide her with the care and assistance she needs.
