Failure to advise about ‘red flags’ causes delay in diagnosis of CES

The Injury 

Our client, Ms D was left with  

  • persistent numbness,  
  • weakness in legs,  
  • pins and needles in legs.  
  • right foot drop, 
  • mobility problems causing falls.  
  • no sexual feeling 
  • bladder and bowel dysfunction  
  • occasional urinary urgency, 
  •  constipation 
  • constant pain in her leg and around her bottom 
  • fatigue and psychological injuries 
  • uncontrollable flatulence 

How can MDS Help you?

While no amount of compensation will ever be enough for your or a family member’s suffering, if you or a loved one has been affected by healthcare negligence leaving them or you with cauda equina syndrome, we can help you through the legal process for investigating your concerns against a healthcare professional and your negligence claim if there is one.

We will do this by providing legal representation on a no-win-no-fee basis to investigate what happened, help you get some answers, help you secure compensation, help seek justice for you and help to secure your or your loved one’s future.

Following the injury

  • Ms D needed crutches to mobilise, and needed  
  • an adapted car adapted for her disability.  
  • was no longer able to continue working full-time 

MDS Medical Law Are Nationally Recognised Specialists In Cauda Equina cases


We can help you investigate your Cauda Equina Case and help you to recover compensation for your physical and psychological injury together with the cost of future treatment, rehabilitation, loss of earnings (if unable to work as a result of the injury), vital aids and equipment and for any care or support that is required as long as it can be attributed to the negligence.

What happened to our client?

Our client, Ms D had a long history of back pain. She saw her GP on several occasions between January and May due to back pain that was radiating into her right leg. She was given medication.  

During this period, the pain gradually increased, and she developed numbness in her right leg. She was advised to keep taking medication, and she became increasingly frustrated because she was not getting any better. She sought help from out of hours doctors and called 111 on one occasion but was always advised to keep taking medication.  

Ms D saw the Defendant GP in June and he noted reduced power in her right leg and no bladder or bowel symptoms. She was referred for an outpatient MRI but was not given any advice about the red flag symptoms of Cauda Equina Syndrome.  

Approximately a week later, she noticed that she was struggling to pee.  She would have to sit on the toilet for a long time before she could start peeing. She did not know that this was an important symptom that could be related to her other problems, and she did not seek medical attention until another few days later when she started to experience numbness and loss of power in her left leg. She went to A&E and was diagnosed with Cauda Equina Syndrome following an MRI. She had emergency decompression surgery the following morning.  

Our client contacted us to investigate whether she should have been given advice about the red flag symptoms of Cauda Equina Syndrome by her GP in June.  

We obtained evidence from experts in the general practice, spinal surgery, and neurosurgery and found that there was a failure by the GP to provide advice about the red flag symptoms of Cauda Equina Syndrome. This is also known as safety netting advice. If she had been aware that bladder dysfunction / problems was a red flag symptom, she would have sought medical assistance a few days earlier. The delay in diagnosing Cauda Equina Syndrome meant that her injuries were worse than if she had undergone surgery earlier. 

Disclaimer

Whilst our case studies are designed to give an indication of the outcomes that can be achieved in these circumstances, the compensation awarded in individual cases can vary significantly due to a range of factors, including the severity of injury, effects on life expectancy and financial impact, for example. For more information, contact us today.

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