Mother left in agony by spine surgery errors

But these days the mother-of-two finds routine jobs a struggle after being left in excruciating pain because a screw was incorrectly inserted during spinal surgery leaving her with permanent nerve damage

Despite having the spinal surgery at Castle Hill Hospital, in Cottingham, Hull, intended to improve a condition in her spine in April 2010, the misplaced screw was not identified for 18 months. She experienced pins and needles and weakness and was left with permanent nerve damage affecting her leg and foot.

The 36-year-old from Beverley, yesterday spoke out about the impact the mistake had had on her life saying: “The last few years have been a complete nightmare and I am still in pain which will never go away due to the damage to my nerves.

“I don’t feel like the same person as I was before the operation, but I do try to remain positive each day.

“It is very difficult, especially struggling with the little things in life that we all take for granted such as taking my youngest to and from school, or not being able to do the housework like I used to be able to do.”

The screw was eventually removed in March 2012 but the damage to the nerve was irreversible. Last week it was announced that Mrs Bielby had been awarded an undisclosed five-figure compensation settlement.

Mrs Bielby, a former secretary, said yesterday: “I haven’t been able to work since the surgery and I would love to do so, but unfortunately due to my condition I am very limited as to what work I can do.

“I’d like to work but I would need a desk job with limited hours as I can’t stand for long.”

However she is determined to rebuild her life as much as possible: “I’m trying to remain positive and will do what I can to make it happen.”

Mrs Bielby first suffered back pain while pregnant with her first daughter in 1999.

She was told she would probably need surgery for degeneration of the discs in her spine and eight years later had the back operation at Castle Hill Hospital.

However, a sharp pain in her left leg and toe failed to settle and eventually she lost feeling all the way up to two inches below the knee cap. After seeing 30 clinicians, a surgeon eventually told her a screw had been put in at a different angle to the others and had been rubbing away at nerves.

After instructing Irwin Mitchell lawyers, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust admitted lapses, including failing to arrange further imaging after an X-ray was performed on April 29 2010, two days after the operation.

The Trust earlier said: “We understand this must have been a distressing time for Mrs Bielby and apologise for the pain and distress caused.”