Ruth Harris’ experience shows the importance of recognising and treating sepsis early.
Ruth started to feel unwell on a Friday, the day after having minor surgery to her nose. She felt significantly worse over the weekend. She suffered vomiting and diarrhoea. She wasn’t able to eat or drink. She was so bad that on the Saturday night she had to sleep on the bathroom floor. The following day needed her husband’s support to walk. By that evening she had become confused.
On the Monday, she was too unwell even to use the phone and her husband had to call the GP for her. There is a dispute as to exactly what was said but the GP’s note was very brief. He diagnosed gastroenteritis and advised fluids and rest for 2 days. She tried to follow that advice but struggled to drink and became worse. She was so ill that, after saying goodbye to her daughter who was leaving for school on Monday morning her memory is blurred.
On the Wednesday, she had developed a rash which was spreading over her legs. Her husband spoke to a different GP. He advised her to come in for blood tests. When he saw her, he realised quite how ill she was and she was taken to hospital by ambulance.
There she was found to have sepsis. Her liver and kidney function was impaired and she needed a catheter to pass urine. She remained in hospital for 11 days.
Once home, she had to rely on her husband and daughter for support. For 6 months, she had to catheterise herself and then retrain her bladder. She suffered from many of the complications of sepsis. These included a lack of energy, overwhelming fatigue, muscle weakness and pain in one thigh, her left hand and both feet. Her hair became very thin, her nails fell off and her skin peeled.
Continuing effects of sepsis
She still suffers fatigue and pain. Her left-hand grip is still weak and she finds fiddly tasks difficult. She is less able to remember or process information. Like many people after sepsis, the experience affected her state of mind. She lost confidence and distanced herself from other people.
Ruth has a Master’s degree in engineering and worked as a Senior Planner for an engineering company. It was 17 months before she could return to work and another 3 months before she could increase her hours to 21 per week. Not being so able to process information so well, she struggled to work at same level as before. After 3 years, she felt constrained to leave and find less mentally demanding work. She now works as a swimming instructor.
Ruth had always been active. She played netball, enjoyed climbing mountains and trekked in different parts of the world. However, her fatigue limited all these activities and it has taken her a long time to get back to walking distances.
In short, every area of her life was affected.
Compensation claim for delayed sepsis diagnosis against GP
Ruth sought support from UK Sepsis Trust and with the help of their panel solicitors, Enable Law, brought a clinical negligence claim against her GP.
Expert evidence concluded that he should have seen her face to face when her husband first phoned. Had he done so, her condition was such that he should have referred her urgently to hospital. She would then have been treated 48 hours earlier. This is important because sepsis develops rapidly – every hour counts. The outcome would have been much better.
She also relied on experts in various disciplines – intensive care, urology, pain management and neuropsychology – to analyse the impact of sepsis on her and the difference delay had made.
The claim was contested and she had to issue High Court proceedings. Eventually, it was resolved by negotiation at a settlement meeting.
As with many people bringing clinical negligence claims, this was not primarily about money. She has used her experience to raise awareness of sepsis, the importance of recognising and treating it quickly. She has spoken about sepsis at her workplace and supports the UK Sepsis Trust. Her hope is that lessons can be learned so that the same does not happen to other people.
Sepsis is a condition where the body overreacts to infection. It responds in a way which damages its own tissues and organs. Without urgent treatment, it can lead to multi-organ failure, disability and death. 245,000 people are affected by sepsis in the UK each year and 48,000 die.
How we can help you?
At Enable Law we have a dedicated team of clinical negligence solicitors who specialise in investigating and bringing claims in relation to infectious diseases. We have a long standing relationship with the UK Sepsis Trust and have been one of the first law firms trusted by them to represent people whose lives were changed by the negligent diagnosis or treatment of sepsis. To have a free, confidential chat with Paul Sankey or a member of our team call us on 0800 044 8488 or fill in our contact form so we can call you back at a time convenient for you.
