Patient who had bowel stitched closed is awarded compensation

Posted 03/03/2011

A disabled man whose bowel was accidentally stitched closed has been awarded clinical negligence compensation for his ordeal.

Stuart Morley, 29, who has learning difficulties, had to have a colostomy bag fitted when he was 11 because of incontinence.

He later went to St Mark’s Hospital in Middlesex to have it taken out, but the surgeon stitched up his bowel during the operation and failed to notice.

Mr Morley’s bowel eventually burst and he had to have further surgery to prevent peritonitis and septicaemia from claiming his life.

The patient took legal action against the hospital’s NHS trust and has now been awarded £500,000 in clinical negligence compensation, as well as annual payments of £25,000 for his ordeal.

Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp, who heads the medical injury team at Ashtons Legal, comments: “This is a very sad case involving a young man and is unusual for a hospital with a considerable reputation in the field. The damages are high indicating a considerable claim for pain and suffering and ongoing needs.”

It is not the first time a case such as this has occurred – last year, 55-year-old Lynn Main began legal proceedings against Horton General Hospital in Banbury after her bowel was also stitched shut, BBC News reported. She was supposed to be having a hysterectomy.