A teenage girl has been left paralysed from the waist down after a routine operation to remove gallstones went wrong at a Birmingham hospital.
Birmingham Children’s Hospital bosses have admitted mistakenly leaving an epidural spinal anaesthetic in place for more than two days, which left 14-year-old Sophie Tyler with permanent damage to her spinal cord in 2008.
Sophie, from Newport in Wales, was sent to Birmingham for surgery to remove gallstones in May 2008 as the hospital is a leading regional NHS centre for operations.
But when the surgery drew to a close, an epidural was put in the child’s spine to control the pain and not removed for more than two days, despite the youngster complaining that her legs had gone numb.
Birmingham Children’s Hospital has now admitted liability for the error, paving the way for a compensation payout to secure care for Sophie for the rest of her life.
Devastated Sophie, now aged 17, has been forced to adapt to a very different life from the one the active, lively teenager once lived.
Sophie’s mum, Sue Tyler, said: “My daughter’s life has completely changed as a result of what happened.
“From being an outgoing teenager her life has altered overnight and we have all had to come to terms with what has happened.
“Sophie is still taking her A-levels and hopes to then go to university, but to do so, she has had to be very determined and needs a lot of support to enable her to achieve her goals.”
The day after the surgery, Sophie said her right leg had gone numb. Medical staff continued to pump the anaesthetic into her spine and the numbness spread to both legs with Sophie barely able to move her feet.
An MRI scan days later revealed the anaesthetic had entered the spinal cord and damaged the membranes, which had paralysed her from the waist down.
Family solicitor Tim Deeming, from law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “Other than suffering from gallstones, Sophie was a very healthy and active young girl.
“She and her family put their trust in the hospital and believed that within a few days she would be on the road to recovery.
"At the age of 14, to be told you will never walk again is unimaginable and to discover that the mistakes had been entirely avoidable has been incredibly hard for them to cope with.
“The Trust’s full admission of liability now paves the way for a settlement.”
Dr Vin Diwakar, Chief Medical Officer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “We are deeply sorry for the unimaginable distress we have caused Sophie and her family as a result of the care she received at our hospital three years ago.
“The care we provided fell below our usual high standards and since then we have implemented a whole series of changes to try to ensure that this never happens again.”
