According to a latest report from the BBC (source) the recent National Patient Safety Agency figures indicate that women are not being checked for pregnancy before ongoing surgery. The figures reported show that there have been 42 serious incidents between 2003 and 2009 as a result of surgery on a patient where the surgeons were unaware that the patient was pregnant. Three of these reported incidents sadly culminated in miscarriage.
Under national guidelines, medical practitioners must always check with the patient whether there is a chance that she may be pregnant before she undergoes surgery, and particularly if that surgery is to the abdomen or the pelvis.
Surgery in the early stages of pregnancy is very risky to the developing foetus and therefore it is vitally important that the surgeon is aware of any early pregnancy. If the surgeon is aware of the patient’s pregnancy then they may be able to make some changes to their plans to limit any risks to the patient or the foetus. The surgery may be delayed or they may be able to change the type of procedure or the anesthetic used to make the surgery less risky.
The National Patient Safety Agency figures clearly show that the proper checks are not being carried out. In some cases checks have not been made at all and in others the patient is asked of the possibility of being pregnant in the preoperative assessment which may be some weeks before the surgery actually takes place.
There are currently 12 ongoing medical negligence cases where the patient was not checked for pregnancy at all. If a surgeon has failed to check that a patient is pregnant and there are complications with the pregnancy as a result of the surgery then it is likely that a medical negligence claim can be made against the relevant hospital trust.
If you have been involved in a situation similar to the above then we advise that you contact a solicitor specialising in medical negligence to obtain your medical records and confirm whether you have a possible claim for compensation as a result of your suffering. Please feel free to contact us to discuss any queries you may have and to check whether you have a claim.
