Would I be able to get compensation without involving a solicitor?

meraaakauser

I gave birth to my daughter in february of this year. I am not happy with how I was treated at the hospital after delivering however I’m not just looking to complain I want to take things further because of the trauma this has caused me. I had my daughter on the 5th of february 2021, I had chosen to get the epidural and I had tore during delivery so I was stitched shortly after. The nurse that was stitching me had said that I would be numbed however when she began I could feel everything. I was screaming at the nurses in the room that the epidural had worn off and that I was in extreme pain, she still carried on and just kept repeating that it would be over soon. I then had a member of the plastics team come into the room to check the stitches as the nurse was having some trouble. I then had to have someone else take out the stitches and redo them as they were not done correctly, again I kept yelling that I could feel everything but was just told that there was not long left. I didn’t lose much blood from delivery but from the stitching alone I lost 700ml of blood. After a few hours myself and my newborn were taken upstairs to the newborns ward where I was placed with another woman that didn’t have a baby. During the night I could hear her coughing constantly and using the bathroom multiple times. I was then told in the morning by a nurse that myself and my newborn were not to leave the room as the woman sharing the room was positive for covid. I asked if I could be moved to another room as I didnt feel safe using the bathroom and I was just told that it would be wiped down which it wasn’t. Because of this I pushed to be discharged earlier as I was scared myself or my baby would fall ill. I spent the rest of the weeks worried sick about my daughter, I took her to the doctors so often because I was so scared that there would be something wrong with her. I’m now afraid of having any further children and terrified of hospitals. My daughter was recently admitted into hospital for having white stools and I cried every day on the phone to my husband because I couldn’t take being there. Thankfully all her tests had came back clear and we were sent home after 3 days. My question is would I need a solicitor in order to get compensation for the way I was treated? I don’t know anything about solicitor fees and i’m worried incase I were not to win my case and i’ve spent all that money on a solicitor. I’m not looking to complain directly to the hospital only to just get an apology. An apology won’t take back all the suffering I went through. Im unsure which category to post this so i’m sorry if i’ve posted it in the wrong one. 
 Thank you for reading 

Mojisola

Even with a solicitor, a claim like this would be tied up in legal battles for years.  The NHS fights and fights any such claims.

As you and your daughter are healthy, try to live for the moment and enjoy having her around day to day - babies really do change quickly. 

If the memories really impact your daily life, you would be better trying some counselling than getting caught up in an expensive and lengthy legal battle.

Jeremy535897

Start by reading: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/health/nhs-and-social-care-complaints/nhs-complaints-who-is-your-complaint-against/nhs-hospital-complaints/

[Deleted User]

meraaakauser said:

 An apology won’t take back all the suffering I went through. 

Nothing would take back the suffering, so it's time to move on.

There are more important things in life than compensation.

JamoLew

meraaakauser said:

I gave birth to my daughter in february of this year. I am not happy with how I was treated at the hospital after delivering however I’m not just looking to complain I want to take things further because of the trauma this has caused me. I had my daughter on the 5th of february 2021, I had chosen to get the epidural and I had tore during delivery so I was stitched shortly after. The nurse that was stitching me had said that I would be numbed however when she began I could feel everything. I was screaming at the nurses in the room that the epidural had worn off and that I was in extreme pain, she still carried on and just kept repeating that it would be over soon. I then had a member of the plastics team come into the room to check the stitches as the nurse was having some trouble. I then had to have someone else take out the stitches and redo them as they were not done correctly, again I kept yelling that I could feel everything but was just told that there was not long left. I didn’t lose much blood from delivery but from the stitching alone I lost 700ml of blood. After a few hours myself and my newborn were taken upstairs to the newborns ward where I was placed with another woman that didn’t have a baby. During the night I could hear her coughing constantly and using the bathroom multiple times. I was then told in the morning by a nurse that myself and my newborn were not to leave the room as the woman sharing the room was positive for covid. I asked if I could be moved to another room as I didnt feel safe using the bathroom and I was just told that it would be wiped down which it wasn’t. Because of this I pushed to be discharged earlier as I was scared myself or my baby would fall ill. I spent the rest of the weeks worried sick about my daughter, I took her to the doctors so often because I was so scared that there would be something wrong with her. I’m now afraid of having any further children and terrified of hospitals. My daughter was recently admitted into hospital for having white stools and I cried every day on the phone to my husband because I couldn’t take being there. Thankfully all her tests had came back clear and we were sent home after 3 days. My question is would I need a solicitor in order to get compensation for the way I was treated? I don’t know anything about solicitor fees and i’m worried incase I were not to win my case and i’ve spent all that money on a solicitor. I’m not looking to complain directly to the hospital only to just get an apology. An apology won’t take back all the suffering I went through. Im unsure which category to post this so i’m sorry if i’ve posted it in the wrong one. 
 Thank you for reading 

You need to go through the formal complaints process first really.

Money isn't always a cure for bad treatment - sometimes the opportunity to discuss your situation,listen to any explanations and discuss like sensible adults helps a lot more

Sometimes, someone actually and genuinely apologising helps a whole lot more int he long term.

The only part of your story that MAY have any real strength is the stitching and your claims that the epidural had worn off - honestly, the rest is not actionable at all.

Any monetary payout would be quite small imo and chances of getting anything without a solicitor are slim at best.

I work in the NHS and have for 30 years - have seen some errors in my time and some I genuinely believe did deserve monetary compensation, the rest are usually built on feelings and emotion and aren't worth a single penny financially (all the bits in bold)

Additionally (although not my area of expertise) - It is very common indeed for women to lose 500-1000ml through birth - how you have managed to quantify 700ml just from stitching is frankly not possible - chances are there were other/additional causes

p.s -- pretty sure this isn't the right section of the forum for this

Beeboo23

Sorry but why do you want money for this? What financial loses did you suffer? Is the basis of your complaint that the stitching was uncomfortable and you didn’t catch Covid? After the nhs has been under so much strain you want to take money out of it and for what?

I appreciate you had a bad experience but you want to sue a nurse who was probably just doing her best for a quick cash grab. If you’re really traumatised you can get FREE counselling on the NHS that you want to sue. 

Sorry if that sounds harsh but we should be protecting the NHS not squeezing it for every penny we can. 

poppy12345

JamoLew said:

meraaakauser said:

I gave birth to my daughter in february of this year. I am not happy with how I was treated at the hospital after delivering however I’m not just looking to complain I want to take things further because of the trauma this has caused me. I had my daughter on the 5th of february 2021, I had chosen to get the epidural and I had tore during delivery so I was stitched shortly after. The nurse that was stitching me had said that I would be numbed however when she began I could feel everything. I was screaming at the nurses in the room that the epidural had worn off and that I was in extreme pain, she still carried on and just kept repeating that it would be over soon. I then had a member of the plastics team come into the room to check the stitches as the nurse was having some trouble. I then had to have someone else take out the stitches and redo them as they were not done correctly, again I kept yelling that I could feel everything but was just told that there was not long left. I didn’t lose much blood from delivery but from the stitching alone I lost 700ml of blood. After a few hours myself and my newborn were taken upstairs to the newborns ward where I was placed with another woman that didn’t have a baby. During the night I could hear her coughing constantly and using the bathroom multiple times. I was then told in the morning by a nurse that myself and my newborn were not to leave the room as the woman sharing the room was positive for covid. I asked if I could be moved to another room as I didnt feel safe using the bathroom and I was just told that it would be wiped down which it wasn’t. Because of this I pushed to be discharged earlier as I was scared myself or my baby would fall ill. I spent the rest of the weeks worried sick about my daughter, I took her to the doctors so often because I was so scared that there would be something wrong with her. I’m now afraid of having any further children and terrified of hospitals. My daughter was recently admitted into hospital for having white stools and I cried every day on the phone to my husband because I couldn’t take being there. Thankfully all her tests had came back clear and we were sent home after 3 days. My question is would I need a solicitor in order to get compensation for the way I was treated? I don’t know anything about solicitor fees and i’m worried incase I were not to win my case and i’ve spent all that money on a solicitor. I’m not looking to complain directly to the hospital only to just get an apology. An apology won’t take back all the suffering I went through. Im unsure which category to post this so i’m sorry if i’ve posted it in the wrong one. 
 Thank you for reading 

p.s -- pretty sure this isn't the right section of the forum for this

You are correct, it's not. OP i agree with others, i think you should make a complaint to the hospital and then move on.

Diamandis

Getting stitched is uncomfortable, but they were just trying to help you. It's unfortunate you got put in a room with someone that happened to have covid, the same thing happened to me in hospital, I just isolated when I left. It sounds like its possible you may be suffering from post natal depression, maybe you could speak to your midwife or doctor about the way you're feeling. I don't really think you have much of a case for financial compensation.

poppy12345

As advised on your duplicate thread, put in a complaint to the hospital and then move on.

grumpyoldwoman

 An apology won’t take back all the suffering I went through.

So money will? 
I'm so sorry you had such an awful experience but counselling seems the way to go especially if you plan to have more children. I hope you can eventually put it all behind you.

cattie

Childbirth is painful & natural. How do you think people coped before the epidural was available? I had an epidural, but unfortunately it didn't work properly, so the birth & being stitched after was painful, but suing our NHS just didn't enter my mind. I was just happy to be delivered of a healthy baby boy.

The money you hope to squeeze out of the NHS is money that should be spent on providing all the medical procedures that the NHS provide to us for free & with the NHS pushed to the limit with coping with covid, most of us realise that the NHS is under a huge strain & needs every penny it can get.