£375,000 settlement for botched catheter procedure that caused life-altering injuries

A MAN who suffered life-altering injuries following a failed catheter procedure at Yeovil District Hospital has been awarded £375,000 in damages.

The operation was meant to treat urinary retention but instead led to multiple bowel perforations, sepsis and permanent reliance on medical devices.

On August 25, 2015, the man attended hospital for the insertion of a suprapubic catheter under local anaesthetic but the procedure was abandoned due to severe pain.

Diagnosed with a urinary tract infection caused by a multi-drug-resistant strain of E. coli on September 3, 2015, he was admitted again for a sigmoidoscopy and suprapubic catheter insertion on September 8, 2015.

Despite a history of abdominal surgery increasing his risk of complications, the procedure went ahead without ultrasound guidance, contrary to national safety guidelines. The operation led to extreme discomfort and a CT scan later revealed signs of bladder perforation and free air in the abdomen.

On September 9, 2015, emergency surgery found four perforations to the small bowel that were believed to have been caused by repeated blind attempts at catheter placement.

Five days later, our client developed severe sepsis and was taken back into surgery, where doctors found an ischaemic colon (lack of blood supply) and performed a colectomy and ileostomy, leaving him with a permanent stoma.

Tasked with investigating the standard of his care, we instructed medical experts who supported alleged numerous breaches of duty – including:

• Failing to offer transurethral resection (TURP), a safer alternative that may have avoided the need for a catheter altogether.
• Failing to properly explain the risks of suprapubic catheterisation versus other treatments like intermittent self-catheterisation.
• Proceeding with the catheter insertion despite signs of infection and a complex surgical history.
• Not using ultrasound or other safeguards to reduce the risk of bowel damage.
• Failing to act quickly after complications were suspected.

If he had been properly informed, it was concluded that our client would likely have chosen TURP or intermittent self-catheterisation, both of which could have avoided the catastrophic outcome he suffered.

As a result of the injuries, our client now has permanent bowel dysfunction and uses an ileostomy bag. He continues to use a suprapubic catheter and suffers from chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.

Unfortunately, he was no longer able to do the work did before and required ongoing medical care, including potential surgeries for hernia repair and bladder stone treatment.

Having initially issued a Letter of Claim in February 2018, the Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust formally denied liability before the case proceeded to court in January 2020.

While the NHS Trust maintained that the complications were unfortunate but not negligent, they made an initial settlement offer of £250,000 in July 2020 which was rejected before being successfully settled for £375,000 following further negotiation.

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