Entrapment injury

We have recently issued proceedings on behalf of a client who is bringing a medical negligence claim relating to the management of her care in the period following surgery, when her arm was allowed to become trapped between the rail of her bed and her mattress. At the time, she suffered from significant bruising, grazing and a haematoma, and since this date she has experienced debilitating pain in her arm.

Entrapment injuries of this type have been included on the Never Events list 2011/2012, released by the Department of Health, which details ‘very serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if the relevant preventative measures have been put in place’. A significant amount of guidance has been released, detailing the risk assessment that should be undertaken, the dimensions of the equipment to be used and the monitoring that should be carried out, to avoid the entrapment of any part of a patient’s body and a resulting serious injury. In this claim our medical negligence solicitors are alleging that the trust has failed in meeting these obligations.

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