Family receive pay out following clinical negligence case

The family of a father-of-five – who died following spinal surgery – has received a significant compensation package.

Dean Bircham had died a week after medics at the Rivers Hospital, Hertfordshire had damaged a vein, leading to significant blood loss.

Last week, a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice awarded Mr Bircham’s widow Julie an undisclosed sum, understood to be over £1million.

The court heard that the Essex IT worker had experienced ongoing problems with back pain and sciatica and had previously undergone surgery in the 1990s.

In 2010 it was recommended that he have another procedure, but it was found that the 51-year-old had not been properly advised of all the possible risks.

When the operation was carried out in September of that year, surgeon Ahmed Hussein had failed to seek immediate help from a vascular surgeon and mistakenly continued the surgery when the vein was in close proximity to the spine.

In a written statement issued following the conclusion of the case, Mrs Bircham said: “Losing Dean so suddenly has been absolutely devastating for our family.

“We hoped the surgery would relieve the pain which he had been dealing with so stoically for many years.”

While standards of healthcare in the UK are generally very high, this doesn’t mean that things can’t go wrong – and when they do, the consequences can be devastating. At Lester Morrill, our experienced clinical negligence team can advise you on the options available. For more information about how our Leeds-based solicitors can help you, contact us today.