Breast cancer patient severely burnt by chemotherapy drugs at BMI The Esperance Hospital

The injury resulted in extensive tissue damage to her healthy breast and musculature of the chest wall which resulted in severe pain, holes developing in the breast that leaked liquified fat and eventually mastectomy of her healthy breast. She also required several surgical procedures to reconstruct her breasts and chest wall.

Mrs E was diagnosed with cancer of her left breast for which she had a mastectomy and was due to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by a single-stage breast reconstruction after completion of treatment.

Following the mastectomy of the left breast, Mrs E had a Port-a-cath fitted in her right chest wall to administer the chemotherapy.  She opted to have the chemotherapy at the private BMI The Esperance Hospital in Eastbourne.

During the first cycle of chemotherapy, nurses who had not been trained in 'needling' and accessing Port-a-caths and who were not qualified to do so, attempted to insert the needle. Despite their difficulties, this was not escalated to qualified staff.

Immediately after the chemotherapy infusion was started, Mrs E started to suffer excruciating pain and a burning sensation in and around her right breast which became red, inflamed and extremely swollen. She also started to suffer breathlessness and became very distressed.

The nurses failed to consider leakage of the chemotherapy drugs into the breast and failed to stop the infusion and take remedial steps. Instead, medical staff diagnosed an allergic reaction to an alcoholic skin wipe and prescribed Piriton to Mrs E. The entire dose of chemotherapy drugs leaked into Mrs E's healthy breast and chest wall.

Following discharge from hospital, Mrs E continued to suffer excruciating pain, swelling and redness of her right breast and the skin started to blister. She was admitted to Eastbourne General Hospital where she was an inpatient for 12 days and given morphine for pain management. Doctors at the hospital diagnosed a severe extravasation injury secondary to leakage of chemotherapy agents.

Following discharge, Mrs E continued to suffer constant severe pain despite morphine. Her right breast and chest remained painful, severely swollen, inflamed and blistered. She also suffered with pain and severely restricted movement in her right shoulder due to damage to the muscles in the chest wall and around the shoulder.

Within a few months, there was extensive swelling and inflammation of the right breast and chest wall, the tissues of which thickened and became fibrotic. A year after the extravasation injury, several large holes developed in the right fibrotic breast through which liquefied fat and breast tissue started leaking. Within another couple of months this had become so severe that Mrs E had no option but to undergo an extensive mastectomy of the right breast. Mrs E was left with significant scarring to her abdomen and chest. Her right arm function also remained impaired.

Mrs E had to wait several years before she was able to have a delayed two-stage bilateral breast reconstruction. She has also had to undergo further operations over seven years and continues to suffer discomfort and restricted movement in her right arm and shoulder and needs help with everyday life.

For some time, lawyers for Circle Health Group (previously BMI Healthcare) which runs the BMI Esperance Hospital resisted making a formal admission of liability and withdrew from several meetings to discuss settlement. Helen Thompson therefore issued Court Proceedings which prompted Circle Health Group to agree to have Judgment entered for Mrs E in the claim so that liability was secured.

The claim was quantified and after lawyers for Circle Health Group finally participated in a settlement meeting, Helen secured a £300,000 settlement for Mrs E.

Upon conclusion of her case Mrs E said; "I appreciate very much the professional and caring service provided to me by Helen Thompson and all at Fieldfisher, many thanks".

Contact us

For further information about delayed diagnosis claims and medical negligence claims, please call Helen Thompson on 0330 460 6765 or email helen.thompson@fieldfisher.com.

• You can speak to our medical negligence solicitors on freephone 0800 358 3848
• email us: personalinjury@fieldfisher.com
• Complete the short online enquiry form

All enquiries are completely free of charge and we will investigate all funding options for you including no win, no fee. Find out more about no win no fee claims.