Woman awarded £27,000 after being given Caesarean without enough pain relief

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust pays sum after admitting patient was not given adequate anaesthetic

File photo. After the epidural was removed the patient was not given any additional anaesthetic before the surgery (Vetta/Getty Creative)

A woman has been awarded £27,000 after a hospital began a Caesarean without giving her adequate pain relief.

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust paid the sum after admitting the woman was not given enough anaesthetic when surgeons at Queen Elizabeth Hospital cut her open to deliver her first child.

The patient had been admitted to hospital in labour in January 2013 and had been given an epidural.

After nearly two hours of active pushing and two attempts at assisted delivery, a decision was taken to carry out a Caesarean.

The epidural was removed shortly after she arrived in theatre but she was not given any additional anaesthetic before surgery started.

When the operation began, the woman felt excruciating pain from the surgeon's knife. Only then was she given more pain relief.

Clinical negligence firm BL Claims Solicitors settled her case.

The claimant, who has since had a second child, was represented by Patricia Wakeford, a dual-qualified midwife and solicitor.

She said: "Understandably, my client found the experience of her first child's delivery to be extremely distressing. She has since suffered from frequent nightmares, severe anxiety and depressive symptoms which led to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"It is hoped that with the help of therapy, she will overcome her ongoing anxieties and be able to enjoy life with her family."

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust admitted several allegations including a failure to provide adequate pain relief, failure to inform the patient of the removal of her epidural and poor record-keeping.

Press Association