Parents claim son was left brain-damaged after hospital infection

Parents who claim their son was brain-damaged by an infection caught at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital in the 1980s are launching a legal bid for compensation.

Paul Kirtland, now 30, was diagnosed with brain damage at five months old. His parents believe it was caused by klebsiella oxytoca – an infection they claim he caught at the hospital in May 1983.

Now Dushka and David Kirtland are preparing a claim to help pay for their son’s care after their deaths.

The hospital has confirmed it was aware of the infection and five other cases in the 10 months leading up to his admission, but has denied negligence.
 The Kirtlands’ lawyers Blake Lapthorn are investigating three more potential infection cases during the same period, and have called for the families involved to come forward.

Paul was born on May 1, 1983, full-term, weighing 7lb 8oz. He was admitted to the special care baby unit after doctors detected a low body temperature and he developed hypoglycema.

Mrs Kirtland, 59, from Nuffield Road, Headington, said: “They told us he was going to live and there may be some brain damage. We thought we would laugh about that on his 18th birthday.

“When he was five months old I started thinking that he couldn’t see very well. They said he was brain damaged and that he would probably never walk, talk or see.
 “He can walk, he can talk and he can partially see, so it’s much better than the prognosis we were given, but it’s all relative.”

Paul suffers from cerebral palsy, epilepsy and is hard of hearing. He will need a wheelchair later in life.

Mrs Kirtland, 59, said: “I have never gone on and had another child because Paul is a full-time job, but he’s a beautiful boy.

“At the time we decided we were just going to take him home and love him, and that’s what we’ve done.

“But about six years ago I lost my father and father-in-law in the same year, and we suddenly realised we were next on the conveyor belt.

“We are quite certain it was the infection that caused Paul’s problems, and we do feel very let down.”

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust last night confirmed letters were exchanged between clinicians about the outbreak and that it sought advice at the time, but was told by the Health Authority that it was happy with infection control measures.

Medical director Edward Baker said: “The trust will contest any legal claim in this case, as the trust does not believe that Mr Kirtland’s brain damage was caused by the klebsiella oxytoca infection he had whilst he was in the SCBU unit in 1983.

“Unfortunately, Mr Kirtland's long-term problems arose as a consequence of his other illnesses for which he had been admitted to SCBU and which were unrelated to the infection.

“In the 10 months prior to Mr Kirtland’s admission to the SCBU the trust had five cases of this infection in the SCBU unit out of approximately 350 admissions. This is not an unusual infection for babies in SCBU units and the numbers do not show that there was an increased risk of cross-infection.”

The Kirtlands’ lawyer Sue Jarvis said: “If the other individuals affected were to give us permission to access their records it would help us.”

What is the bacteria?

Klebsiella oxytoca is a bacterium which can infect parts of the body including the colon, nasopharynx and skin.

The infection is common in hospital admissions and can be transferred between patients by medical staff.

Most people who become infected are those with weak immune systems, such as newborns and people suffering from alcoholism, diabetes and other diseases.

It can have repercussions such as brain damage and urinary tract infections which can spread to the kidneys and lead to renal failure. 

This article is courtesy of the Oxford Mail.