Patient incorrectly diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
In 2005 Marie began suffering from pins and needles and numbness in her arms. She underwent some tests and was seen by a consultant neurologist at her local hospital. Despite all the tests being inconclusive the consultant made a firm diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and referred her to a colleague for specialist beta interferon treatment. His colleague queried the MS diagnosis and suggested that Marie undergo some more tests. However no steps were taken to arrange these tests and Marie was left with a diagnosis of MS and no treatment available to her.
Marie was devastated with the diagnosis but wanted to do as much as she could whilst she still had the physical ability to do so. Her employers were concerned about the diagnosis and felt that due to health and safety reasons she would have to be medically retired. Marie’s husband was unable to cope with the diagnosis having had family members suffer from MS also. Their marriage broke down and Marie was left to cope on her own. Her condition was deteriorating and she was struggling to walk and having bladder and bowel problems.
She contacted her consultant to request the additional tests as she had heard nothing from the hospital for 8 months. Marie had a lumbar puncture which again proved to be inconclusive but her diagnosis of MS stuck and no further referrals were made.
In November 2006 Marie decided that whilst she could still walk she wanted to travel so she went on a trip to India. She needed a great deal of assistance and whilst out there she collapsed. Marie was seen in a local hospital and had a number of scans. The doctors in India looked at her scans and suggested that she was suffering from a spinal cord compression and that she should be referred to a neurosurgeon. They were concerned about Marie’s MS diagnosis and did not feel able to treat her without knowing her full history. Marie took some time to recover in India before returning home.
Marie returned to the UK in early 2007 and she asked her GP to refer her to a neurosurgeon as had been suggested by the doctors in India. There was a slight delay and a mix up in referring her and in March 2007 Marie went to see another neurologist at her local hospital. The neurologist looked at Marie’s history and the imaging taken in India. He also queried the diagnosis of MS and confirmed that it was very likely that she had been suffering from a cord compression the whole time.
Marie was transferred to a more specialised hospital and underwent more scans. She was advised that she did not and never had MS but instead had a spinal cord compression that required immediate surgery. This should have happened 12 months previously when Marie’s condition was manageable.
Marie underwent extensive spinal surgery but given the delay in diagnosis and treatment she had numerous mobility problems that remain to this day. She struggles with walking, relying on a stick and a wheelchair and needs assistance with a lot of her day to day activities.
We were able to secure a settlement from the hospital trust for £1.3 million which has enabled Marie to purchase an adapted property and get the assistance that she requires for the future.