Middlesbrough hospital coma compensation an insult, woman says
A woman who fell into a diabetic coma following cancer surgery feels a hospital trust's offer of £1,500 compensation is an "insult".Katherine Ashton, 60, had major surgery at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital in October 2022 and previously said she flagged her condition "every step of the way".She is now committed to pursuing the case through the courts to reveal "the truth" of what happened to her.South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STHNFT) said it offered Mrs Ashton compensation in line with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's recommendations.
Mrs Ashton, who has the genetic MODY3 form of diabetes, described how she was constantly throwing up in the days after the operation.She said she felt she had been "completely abandoned" and struggled to keep medication down.Just 10 days after the operation, she fell into a coma and said she was "an hour from dying".The STHNFT previously said it was likely her coma was linked to the post-operative administration of a medication known to carry the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a dangerous complication of diabetes.
'Not about money'
In the years since, Mrs Ashton has tried to find out what went wrong and why.She explained there had been three internal investigations and they were offered a fourth.She said: "In the delay that these investigations have caused, we have received an apology from Stacey Hunter, the CEO of the trust, confirming there was a missed opportunity and they accept full liability for that."We were reassured when we met her in her office that we would now be talking about some form of compensation for accountability."This is not just about money, it is about holding the trust accountable for their actions."
'Fell short'
Mrs Ashton said being offered £1,500 in compensation for nearly dying was an insult.She is now exploring the legal options of taking the case forward.The 60-year-old said: "It is only when somebody dies that people stand up and pay attention."I nearly did and I'm not letting go. It is not going to be easy."All I want is the truth. Somebody has to stand up for patients."
A spokesperson for the trust said: "We would like to offer our sincere apologies to Mrs Ashton for elements of our complaint-handling process which fell short of the high standards we strive to achieve."The trust has been in communication with Mrs Ashton and provided a sum of compensation for the handling of her complaint in line with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's recommendations."
Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Towie star rushed to hospital during filming after she ignored worrying symptoms for TEN years
TOO SCARED Towie star rushed to hospital during filming after she ignored worrying symptoms for TEN years A TOWIE star was rushed to hospital during filming after she ignored her worrying symptoms. Reality TV star Chloe Meadows, 33, was so "scared" of the doctors and the prospect of "having any procedure done" that she ignored symptoms of a chronic inflammatory bowel condition for around 10 years. 4 The Towie star was rushed to hospital during filming after she ignored her worrying symptoms Credit: Getty 4 Chloe received worried texts from her father while she was filming Credit: Instagram 4 Chloe was scared of going to the Doctors or facing a procedure Credit: Instagram Chloe said she had some health checks aged 26, 10 years after her symptoms appeared, after she went on a diet at a time where she was also losing a lot of blood. She told the podcast Bedside Manners with Dr Oscar Duke, that her mother intervened and said she should go to the doctors and get a blood test as she looked grey. While she was out filming, after she had the blood tests, Chloe received a number of missed calls from her father who then texted her to say a doctor had advised her she should got straight to A&E because her "blood was so low". "I went to the hospital. I had to have all of these checks and these iron infusions and that was where it started," she said. Chloe also revealed that she had probably her longest flare-up after filming a nerve wracking scene on Towie. The star first discovered blood in her stool, a symptom of ulcerative colitis, when she was 16. "I went to a college where I boarded when I was 16. "I was staying away from home and I was living in a student house and there was blood down the toilet", she told Dr Oscar Duke's Bedside Manners podcast. "I remember I told my mum and I was like, there's quite a lot of blood down the toilet. "I'm not really sure what's going on. She was of course like, go to the doctors. Towie's Chloe Meadows reveals 'real job' outside of show filming but fans aren't convinced "I went to the doctors, and they said that I would have to have a colonoscopy, which is a camera into the bowel." Chloe added: "At this point in my life, I had never really ever been to the hospital. I'd never been sick. "I'd never had any procedure or operation. I'd never been sedated. "I'd never had anything and the doctor referred me and I got this letter, and this is awful, but I got this letter and I just never went to the appointment because I was terrified. What causes ulcerative colitis and how is it treated? It is thought to be an autoimmune condition, which means the immune system wrongly tries to attack healthy tissue. The theory generally thought to be correct is that the immune system mistake 'good' bacteria inside the colon as a threat and attacks, causing the colon to become inflamed It is unknown why the immune system can behave in this way, but it is thought to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Medication can be taken to relieve symptoms and prevent them from returning. These include aminosalicylates, corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. An option for some people is to have colon removal surgery. "Then I ignored it and what would happen, which is what I realise now, is that I can go into remission, I can go into a flare-up in remission. "It would stop for periods of time so that the blood would go away. I'd be like, 'Oh, cool, it's gone away, I'm better. There's nothing wrong with me'. "I'd go through years where it wouldn't happen and then it would happen again, and then it would stop again. "I would probably lie to my mum about how much it would happen because she always pestered me about it and I was like, 'No, it's fine'. Chloe admitted she was scared of having any procedure done. "I was also scared of what they were going to tell me. I was just terrified, which is not really a reason not to go to the doctor, but I think that's just what I thought. "I was young as well, so I would forget when there wasn't blood down the toilet, I would completely forget." Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed, according to the NHS website. Symptoms include recurring diarrhoea, which may contain blood, extreme tiredness, loss of appetite and weight loss. Some people with ulcerative colitis may go for weeks or months with very mild symptoms, or none at all (remission), followed by flare-ups and relapses. Treatment options include corticosteroids, immunosuppressants and surgery.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
John Whaite says 'I feel like an ageing fool' as he struggles with diagnosis
Strictly Come Dancing star John Whaite took to social media with a candid update two years after revealing he had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Former Strictly Come Dancing star John Whaite has candidly opened up on his health struggles in a new social media upload. The Bake Off star, 36, took to Instagram to reveal his thoughts on how his "superpower" can sometimes "make life confusing". John was diagnosed with ADHD in 2023 and said at the time he wished he had "known this sooner". According to the NHS, ADHD - which stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - is "a condition where the brain works differently to most people". The health service explains symptoms of the diagnosis can leave people having trouble with things like concentrating and sitting still. Now, in an honest video shared to his social media page, John admitted of his condition: "Sometimes it makes life almost unbearable. I was promised I'd get older and wiser, but sometimes I feel like I'm just an ageing fool." He said in the clip: "Oh can we just talk about the reality of life with ADHD because you know a lot of the time we think we have a superpower and sometimes it can serve us very well. "It can serve us in so many ways where we can fixate on things and achieve things and create things and really do the best work or something imaginable but often that's such a pyrrhic victory because we bleed ourselves dry or we exhaust ourselves in doing it or we abandon plans or friends or family and the reality of ADHD is that it can make us believe that what we're doing in life sometimes is the exactly the righteous course of action for us." He went on: "It's the right path in spite of what people who love us might say. And then when it gets to the point where we are our interest fizzles away, the reality kicks in and we see the truth and we see the situation for what it is. "At that point we're left kind of thinking f***, I've given up so much for this. I've ignored people who love me for this. And this is really exhausting because usually the older you get the wise you get. And while that can still be true in a situation where you have ADHD I think the reality. "As you get older you don't necessarily get wiser, you just get older and when you get older and you keep making silly little mistakes people become less tolerant of those mistakes because you're meant to be older and wiser." He added that despite so much positivity surrounding the "superpower", there is also a flip side that can be "crippling and so dehumanising and annoying". John candidly confessed: "If I could chose to live life neurotypically at this point in my life, I would jump at the chance and I know that's not very pro ADHD it's not very kind of holding up the flag our community but sometimes it's just exhausting, it's horrific and sometimes I f****** hate it." John has regularly been open about his condition since his diagnosis. He has also spoke out about his mental health battle, previously suffering from bulimia and suicidal thoughts. He explained at how one point he was so low he decided to quit fame and move to Canada, where he volunteered on a farm in a bid to go back to basics and help him recover. Speaking on Steph's Packed Lunch in 2020, he said he also suffers from sexsomnia, a condition similar to night terrors and sleep walking, but instead he engages in sexual behaviour that he doesn't remember when he's awake. "You have night terrors, I have night pleasures, because I have sexsomnia," he said. "In the night, I'll be fast asleep... My boyfriend wakes up and I'll be fondling him. He's having the time of his life and I'm fast asleep." He has also admitted he was left feeling "suicidal" in the past following his Bake Off win. "I kind of felt like I'd failed. And I felt suicidal. I really really did think I was going to end it," John explained.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Gemma Collins goes on fat jab rant as she slams skinny people who take weight loss injections
GEMMA Collins has slammed skinny people who use fat jabs as opposed to those who actually medically qualifiy. The reality TV star is currently undergoing her own weight loss journey and is currently using Mounjaro in a bid to shift the weight once and for all. 4 Gemma Collins has slammed skinny people who use weight loss jabs Credit: Getty 4 The star is currently on her own weight loss journey Credit: Instagram But although she is using the jabs, she has scolded others who use them when they don't actually 'need' the medication. Speaking to the Mirror, Gemma said: "I really don't agree with already slim people taking it, that's just not right at all, and it's not what it's for. "It's for overweight people and it breaks my heart when there's people on the NHS who can't access it and it's such a shame because everyone deserves not to struggle with their weight and you would only understand if you had a weight problem and how difficult it is. I know how it is." So far, the star revealed she has already dropped from a size 26 to a size 20 and is still continuing on her journey. The star revealed it had given her a much-needed confidence boost and praised the wonder drug. The Diva Forever star said: "I've gone from a size 26 to a size 20, and I've never felt better. "Mounjaro is unbelievable and it's changed my whole life. I think it's a life-changing drug. "Being able to pick up a size 20 top in M&S, put it on in the changing rooms and just get on with my day, is just such a life-changing experience for me honestly." She continued: "Don't be scared or anxious - do it! "You can't just buy them backstreet - there's so many people selling them dangerously and on the backstreet market. Gemma Collins breaks silence on scary pneumonia battle as she struggles to breathe in chaotic radio appearance "You have to go with a proper company and it will seriously change your life. It has been the biggest success for me. I have so much energy. "I just feel good and I'm not obsessed with looking too thin. "I don't need to prove anything to anyone, I know myself that I'm losing the weight and I feel so much healthier. "They really are a wonder-drug and if anyone is struggling with their weight, I really do understand. "I know how difficult it is." Everything to know about Gemma Collins All the latest news about Gemma Collins Who is Gemma's fiance Rami Hawash? Gemma Collins' net worth explained All about Gemma Collins' weight loss Meet Gemma's parents Joan and Alan 4 The star has been aiming to slim down Credit: Alamy
