Medical negligence case pursued by father of amputated girl
At the age of just 10 months old, Miki Lin Gao was admitted to Peterborough District Hospital with septicaemic shock, a bleeding disorder known as coagulopathy, and multiple organ failure. The severity of her condition meant that doctors had to amputate both of her legs. Miki is now 6 years old, and up to 300,000 in medical negligence compensation is being sought by her father, Hou Chun Lin, who has begun legal proceedings against Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Mr Lin, who doesn’t speak much English, believes that hospital staff acted negligently in their failure to admit his daughter for treatment earlier, and has issued a High Court writ stating that when she was originally taken to the accident and emergency department at Peterborough District Hospital with a skin infection, staff refused to admit her and Mr Lin was given instructions to take her home and give her paracetemol.
The following morning, Miki’s condition had become even worse, and Mr Lin took her back to the hospital. He speaks little English, but they were seen by an interpreter and a Cantonese-speaking doctor. However, staff once again refused to admit his daughter for treatment. It wasn’t until his third visit that staff realised the seriousness of the situation. He handed a note to a nurse reading “please save my daughter”, and she was then admitted and diagnosed with multiple organ failure and septicaemic shock. Both of her legs had to be amputated immediately – her right leg was amputated below the knee and her left leg was removed above the knee.
The High Court writ issued by Mr Lin states that doctors could have treated Miki’s skin condition if she had been admitted sooner, and that this would probably have led to a full recovery.
A spokesman for Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust issued a brief statement confirming that legal action was in progress, but no further comment was offered.
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