Patient tells surgeon who took out wrong rib told 'you must be joking'

A woman told a surgeon he “must be joking” when he informed her he’d removed the wrong rib.

The patient from Hull, who was 61 when the op took place at Castle Hill Hospital, has now received “substantial” damages for the “basic, completely avoidable” error.

The woman, who doesn’t want to be named, had suffered worsening chest pains and a cough for some time, when scans revealed a potential cancerous growth.

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She had surgery in August 2017 to remove part of her seventh rib, but two weeks later was told in fact her entire sixth rib had been mistakenly taken out.

The op took place at Castle Hill Hospital near HullThe op took place at Castle Hill Hospital near Hull
The op took place at Castle Hill Hospital near Hull

She had to undergo another op to remove the correct rib in October 2017 which she said had left her suffering from chronic chest pains, which spread into her shoulder and means she struggles sitting comfortably and affects her sleep.

She had to quit her job as a healthcare assistant due to the pain, and her husband had to take voluntary redundancy to look after her.

The couple have spent most of their time since living in their static home on a caravan site as she has found it too difficult to walk up and down stairs.

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The woman who instructed Hudgell Solicitors said: “I will simply never be able to understand how this was able to happen. When I was told that they’d taken out the wrong rib I was in complete disbelief and I just said to the surgeon, ‘you must be joking’.

“Two weeks after the operation I was told the wrong rib had been removed in error. I remember the surgeon being very blasé about it, and even making a comment about not making the same mistake again as he’d have more space to work in the second time around.

“My husband is usually a really placid man, but he was furious at how the surgeon showed a lack of care, concern and compassion. It was like it wasn’t a big deal, and he was trying to play down the seriousness of it all.”

The incident was classed as a “never event” – which the NHS accepts are “wholly preventable”.

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Hudgells said the trust admitted breaching its duty of care, and had agreed a significant out-of-court damages settlement to compensate for physical and psychological pain and suffering, loss of earnings and the cost of care and assistance, occupational therapy and equipment requirements.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was approached for a comment.

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