Million pound settlement for family of dad who died after being wrongly discharged from Pinderfields

The 36-year-old visited Pinderfields with chest complaints in September 2022, a month before his death.

An ECG (electrocardiogram) showed significant abnormalities and he should have been referred to the care of a cardiologist.

Instead, he was given reassurance and discharged. He later suffered a heart attack at his home and died.

The man’s widow and their two young children were represented by East Yorkshire law firm Wilkin Chapman’s medical negligence team, who discovered that the man should have been admitted to hospital and given blood-thinning medication.

He would then have undergone an angiogram, followed by angioplasty, treatment that would have avoided his death and he would have had only a modestly reduced life expectancy.

At a round table meeting Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, which operates Pinderfields Hospital, accepted the claim and reached a compromise settlement for £975,000.

This was then approved by the County Court in Leeds, bringing an end to the claim.

Dr Richard Robinson, Chief Medical Officer at the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, said: “We are extremely sorry for the devastating loss that the family have suffered and for the failings in our care.

"Important lessons have been learned and changes made to prevent such failings occurring again.”

Partner within Wilkin Chapman’s medical negligence team, Jonathan Baker, said: “This was an absolutely devastating case for the family, particularly when it became clear how easy this would have been to avoid.

"Whilst we were able to help the family to achieve a suitable outcome, it is hoped that lessons can be learned to prevent such tragic circumstances occurring again.”