Teenager forced to have a hysterectomy at 19 receives five-figure payout from hospital that failed to treat her infection

A young mother has been given a five-figure payout after she was forced to have a hysterectomy shortly after giving birth - because doctors failed to treat an infection she developed. 

Hayley Sanders was 19 when she had the hysterectomy at Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital, just days after giving birth to Jayden by emergency C-section.

Staff at the hospital carried out multiple internal examinations during the birth on December 27, 2009, all of which could have introduced an infection.

But they failed to act when Ms Sanders developed a high temperature.

She was discharged on December 30, but just two days later, on New Year's Day, was rushed back to hospital with abdominal pain and spent days in the high dependency unit.

She fell into a coma as her body was taken over by a bacterial infection.

Doctors were left with no choice but to perform a complete hysterectomy to save her life 13 days after she was readmitted to the hospital.

Ms Sanders later discovered that she would not have needed the hysterectomy if she had been given antibiotics when she first fell ill.

Ms Sanders, now aged 23, from Chelmsley Wood, has criticised the care she received at the hospital and said she is ‘disgusted’ at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust for offering no apology.

She received a five-figure settlement from Trust.

The money will cover the former bank insurance worker’s past and future care, plus her loss of earnings.

She says that she is no longer able to work, requires regular therapy sessions to help her come to terms with what happened, and needs further surgery because her scar causes her a lot of pain.

Ms Sanders said: ‘When I heard the evidence I was absolutely appalled.

‘I couldn’t believe that if staff had only given me antibiotics I would never have needed a hysterectomy.

‘I would have been able to make the most of bonding with Jayden in the first weeks of his life and I would have, one day, been able to give him a little brother or sister.’

Emma Rush, a medical law expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, said: ‘This is a horrific case that has had a devastating impact on Hayley’s life.

‘Hospital staff missed multiple opportunities to recognise that Hayley’s high temperature was the result of an infection that is not uncommon in maternity patients and that simple antibiotics would have treated her.

‘Instead she became critically ill as the infection took over her body and the only option of saving her was to perform a hysterectomy to remove the source of the infection.

‘This is obviously a horrendous ordeal for any person to go through, but particularly difficult for a 19-year-old who hoped to have more children.

‘As well as offering Hayley the apology she deserves, the Trust must also prove that lessons have been learnt as we have no confidence that improvements have been made.

‘We would expect to see further training for staff in recognising the symptoms of infection and administering the appropriate treatment to ensure the same life-changing errors cannot happen again.’

A Heart of England NHS Trust spokeswoman said: ‘A detailed action plan is developed to improve and learn from the findings of investigations and this is monitored and inspected by senior teams of doctors, nurses and midwifes.

‘Unfortunately, Hayley Sanders suffered complications during the course of the delivery of her son.

‘Whilst no admissions of liability were made, a financial settlement was achieved and we wish Hayley and her family all the best for the future.’

This article is courtesy from The Daily Mail.