A woman whose baby daughter died after hospital staff failed to diagnose that she was suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis has received a five figure sum in compensation.

Five figure payout for baby’s death

A woman whose baby daughter died after hospital staff failed to diagnose that she was suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis has received a five figure sum in compensation.

When she was 6 ½ months pregnant , Ms Jibril was admitted to the Jessops Wing of the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in the early hours of 16^th July 2007 with shortness of breath and vomiting blood. She was seen by a doctor who diagnosed indigestion and discharged her with antacid medication. She returned to the hospital feeling no better later that day and after a urine test showed a large amount of ketones she was prescribed further antacid medication.    

Her condition deteriorated and she was struggling to breathe.  During the early hours of the next day, she was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis, a life threatening condition which arises due to a lack of insulin in the body.  She was immediately transferred to the high dependency unit of the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.

During the afternoon of 17^th July 2007 she underwent an ultra-sound scan which confirmed that her baby had died as a result of the severe acidosis.  Because the pregnancy was so far advanced, she had to give birth vaginally to her stillborn baby. During the delivery, she sustained a 2^nd degree perineal tear.

Ms Jibril was represented in her case by Tania Harrison, a clinical negligence specialist with Howells LLP, who said:

“Ms Jibril felt that she never received an explanation from the hospital as to how and why her daughter died.   As a result, with our help, she pursed a claim for clinical negligence against the hospital as she felt the hospital were responsible for her daughter’s death.

“The hospital responded by admitting that they had failed to make an earlier diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis on 16^th July 2007 and this failure caused the death of the Ms Jibril’s daughter.  They accepted that had she been seen by a more senior doctor on 16^th July 2007 the severity of her condition would have been detected sooner and her daughter would have survived.” 

A five figure sum was subsequently awarded to the client to compensate her for the pain and suffering she endured as a result of the sub standard care of the hospital.

Miss Jibril said that she was relieved and grateful that the case was now resolved.

“This was never about the money.  The only reason I brought the action was to make ordinary people aware that doctors can make mistakes and if you feel something is right you should not be afraid to question it.  I knew I did not have indigestion when I was vomiting blood however, I did not question the doctor’s diagnosis of indigestion as I assumed he knew what he was doing.

“I wanted to make sure that the hospital realise this is people’s lives they have in their hands.  I have lost my daughter because of what has happened and I do not want the same to happen to someone else. I would not wish what I have gone through on anyone.”