Man permanently injured by surgeon error

A man who has permanent injuries and partial sight because a surgeon mistakenly removed part of his brain has said he wants compensation and an investigation to be carried out. John Tunney, 63, was given a biopsy in Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, in 2008 because a tumour had been found in his pituitary gland, located in the brain area. However, a surgeon removed healthy brain tissue instead of removing the tumour. As a result, Mr Tunney, from Birmingham, has permanent brain injury and has lost some of his sight. He now needs constant support and supervision because of the damage. University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust accepted blame for the “tragic” mistake. Trust chief medical officer Richard Kennedy said: “I very much regret the tragic outcome for Mr Tunney and his family, and on behalf of the trust would like to apologise for this. “Since 2008, this case has been thoroughly reviewed through our governance process and I am confident that measures have been put in place to prevent this type of incident reoccurring. For example, we now collaborate with expert clinicians at other trusts in these kinds of cases.” Malcolm Underhill, Partner and specialist clinical negligence practitioner, says this is an example of why support should continue for the victims of medical negligence.

“The Government are looking to restrict access to justice, particularly in the field of clinical negligence. This is a good example of why the Government must be lobbied, to ensure that innocent victims of negligence do not go missed and are supported with access to appropriate forms of redress.”

IBB Solicitors has built a reputation for quality of service in pursuing compensation in cases involving accident, illness or death, including medical, clinical and surgical negligence. If you would like advice on personal injury issues, you can contact a member of IBB’s Personal Injury team, call us on 08456 381 381 or email PI@ibblaw.co.uk.