A two week trial began in the High Court today before HHJ Yelton to decide whether medical care provided to Rachel Bradshaw, an 18 year old mother of one, by Northampton General Hospital was substandard and caused her death, and whether additional care provided at the Queen Elizabeth Birmingham Hospital caused a psychological injury to her parents after witnessing the shocking consequences of the treatment received at both hospitals.
This tragic case arises out of firstly an alleged failing by Northampton General to have treated Rachel for Paracetamol poisoning when she attended at their hospital to see the out of hours GP services based next to their A&E department in February 2009; as a consequence of the A&E team not seeing her that second time she did not receive a Paracetamol antidote, without which we argue it was inevitable that she would die.
It secondly arises out of further failings at the Queen Elizabeth Birmingham Hospital where she was admitted for treatment of liver failure. Whilst on their super urgent liver transplant list a pressure monitor device was inserted into her brain, to monitor for brain swelling. Last week the Trust admitted that the device was placed incompetently 3cm into the brain tissue and as a consequence caused Rachel to suffer a brain haemorrhage. At that point all chance for her to survive was erased and there was nothing left for her family but to agree to the life support to be turned off.
The trial is now being heard in the High Court. During the Trial the family cannot answer any questions and refer press and others to their solicitor Caron Heyes of Fieldfisher Caron.heyes@fieldfisher.com or 0330 460 6743.