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Suicide bid man wins 90K compensation from hospital that saved him
Wed 18th Mar 09 - 14:37

A father who tried to kill himself has won a £90,000 payout from the hospital that saved his life.

Michael Dexter, 58, was taken to casualty after washing down 100 pills with rum and cola. Doctors saved him from the lethal overdose by giving him neutralising drugs.

But lawyers claimed they gave him four times the correct amount, which severely damaged his right arm.

Mr Dexter said: "I know they saved my life but if you went in with a heart attack you wouldn't expect to leave with a limb you can't use." He claimed he lost 75 per cent use of his arm and launched a sixyear legal battle before agreeing to the out-of-court settlement.

Mr Dexter said: "I had plastic surgery at a burns specialist who took tendons from the wrist and did skin grafts.

"I can't cuddle my wife with my right hand now. I'm still able to drive but I have a job putting the keys in the ignition."

Mr Dexter became depressed after leaving his job of 23 years as a British Airways aircraft engineer to move north. He said: "It was a big mistake. I very much wanted to kill myself. I was ill."

His wife Stephanie and sons Martin and Trevor found him collapsed at their home in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.

Medical notes from Blackburn Royal Infirmary revealed he was given 200ml of sodium bicarbonate when the correct dose is 50ml. Mr Dexter said the trauma left him unable to get work as a roadsweeper and he made a second suicide attempt three years later.

But he still felt he deserved compensation. Personal injury lawyer Michael Heyes said: "No matter why he was in hospital, he was entitled to be treated properly.

I'm happy he got a good amount." Mr Dexter said he would not celebrate. He said: "It hasn't made me smile. I didn't do it for money. I did it for principles and the way I was treated."

East Lancashire NHS Trust said: "We are pleased a settlement has been agreed and wish Mr Dexter well for the future." Mirror.co.uk

Fintan Fox, Assistant Solicitor at Ralli comments "Most people when they started to read this article will probably have felt that the hospital had been unfairly punished for effectively saving Mr Dexter's life after he chose to take an overdose. However, it is entirely reasonable and proper that once you are in a hospital and are receiving treatment then you should expect that that treatment is administered correctly. If it is not as was the case with Mr Dexter then it is not unreasonable that he should be compensated for the resultant personal injury that he suffered.
 
Mr Dexter has acknowledged that what he did was a mistake but he was clearly at a very low point in his life to the extent that he wanted to kill himself. However as he goes onto say, if you went into hospital with a heart attack you would not expect to leave with a limb that you could not use. The reason why he was in hospital is not the primary issue. The real issue and the issue that applies to each and every one of us who ends up in hospital for whatever reason is that once there you should reasonable expect to be treated properly.
 
Unfortunately in the case of Mr Dexter the hospital fell below the expected standard of care and it is for this reason that he received his compensation."

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