Operation cancelled four times in 12 months

Posted on 13th December 2018

A woman from Cornwall had her major surgery cancelled 4 times in a year.

Katie Flack from Poole was originally scheduled for a hysterectomy due to the painful condition, endometriosis, in January 2018.

Mrs Flack went in to hospital on 22nd January and sat waiting to be called for most of the day until her surgery was cancelled due to emergency measures.
On the second attempt Mrs Flack was prepped for theatre and in a gown ready for the operation when it was cancelled once again.
The operation was then cancelled a further two times.

The hospital declared Opel 4 alerts on 134 days between September 2017 and September 2018, the highest number for trusts in England.

Opel (Operational Pressures Escalation Levels) alerts were brought in to create consistency when reporting on hospital crises.
The highest level is Opus 4 which when declared by a hospital means they are “unable to deliver comprehensive care”. This could then lead to patient care being compromised and the occurrence of never events.

Mrs Flack stated that the effects on mental health when operations are cancelled are not considered. She found that having to prepare herself five times for such a serious operation at the age of 30 created great upset for her when the operation was subsequently cancelled on four occasions.

In addition, Mrs Flack’s son has learning disabilities and he had to go through the trauma of his mum going into hospital five times when it should have been just once.

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a long term condition affecting woman of mainly childbearing age where the tissue lining the womb is found outside the womb, and this can be an extremely painful condition.

Symptoms of Endometriosis

Pelvic pain which usually gets worse with your period
Pain during or after sex
Pain when passing water or stool during your period
Intense period pain that can stop you from doing your day to day activities
Constipation, diarrhoea or blood in your pee or feeling sick during your period
Difficulty getting pregnant

Failure to diagnose endometriosis could lead to infertility. There are also possible risks when undergoing surgery such as bleeding, infections and damage to the organs affected by the condition.
If you feel you have been misdiagnosed or have received a delayed diagnosis from your GP or medical professional, then you may have grounds to make a claim for compensation. You will need to speak to a specialist medical negligence lawyer in the first instance, so call us to discuss how we can help you to make a no win, no fee claim.