Patient Injured At Rehabilitation Centre
After having two hip replacements and a knee replacement, Mildred was told to attend a rehabilitation centre. She was forced to do exercises she knew were harmful, but the rehab centre did not care. Consequently her injuries were exacerbated.
Mildred was born with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, a congenital condition that affects the development of bones and cartilage. Because of this she required a right hip replacement in her mid-40s. Three years later she started to develop problems with her left knee and left hip.
To alleviate the pain, Mildred was told she needed a left hip replacement and a left knee replacement. The hip operation was performed first. Afterwards she was signed off work and received disability benefits. The knee operation was scheduled for six months later.
Because of the second operation, Mildred could not return to work. However, to continue receiving benefits she was told she must attend a rehabilitation course, which aimed to encourage people to return to work. She therefore attended the assessment.
Mildred told the assessor that she had had two hip replacements and was soon to undergo knee surgery. Unfortunately the assessor was not interested and told Mildred she had to "cope with the pain".
The rehabilitation course started just over a week after Mildred's knee replacement. She still had stitches in her wounds and was using a walking stick. She showed the instructor a long letter from her consultant detailing the findings of the operation. Mildred had also been advised what exercises she must not do - such as cycling - as it could weaken her hips.
Just like the assessor, the instructor was not interested in the letter from the consultant, and did not listen to what Mildred had to say. He told her that she could use any of the equipment and said she should get on with it. He also said: "If your hips do dislocate they can put them back in the socket."
Mildred was shocked to hear this and just did as she was told. She was not given any assistance or guidance. By the time she got home, her knee was very swollen and painful. She attended her GP who was furious with the rehabilitation centre, saying their assessment was completely wrong and not a true reflection of Mildred's disability.
The pain did not subside, so the GP referred Mildred back to her consultant. He too was angry with the rehab centre and said the exercise had caused soft tissue damage around the right hip. There was also damage to the left knee.
Consequently Mildred required steroid injections in her right hip, while her left knee replacement needed to be redone, meaning she had to undergo yet another operation. This has severely affected her mobility and she now has trouble with simple tasks such as getting out the bath and cooking.
The rehabilitation centre was completely negligent in their management of Mildred. A proper assessment was not carried out and Mildred should not have been forced to undertake such vigorous exercise. Because of their negligence she sustained further injury to her hips and knee.
We helped Mildred pursue a claim against the rehabilitation centre. She was awarded over £15,000 compensation.
(Details which might identify our client have been changed.)
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