A man who attempted to commit suicide has won compensation of £90,000 after the hospital that treated him accidentally gave him an overdose of a drug designed to neutralise the pills he had taken.
Michael Dexter, 58, had become depressed after leaving his job working for British Airways as an aircraft engineer in order to relocate. He was discovered by his family slumped at home having taken 100 pills with alcohol.
In hospital, he was given sodium bicarbonate to counteract the effects of the pills. Medical notes showed that he was given four times the correct dosage.
Mr Dexter claimed that his right arm was severely damaged as a result of the error, leading to a loss of 75 per cent of its use. The trauma left him unable to work as a road sweeper and three years after the accident he tried to commit suicide again.
Mr Dexter won £90,000 in an out of court settlement.
Hospitals have a duty to their patients to provide the correct care. In this case, Mr Dexter’s care fell below the required standard and the poor treatment resulted in his injury.
£90,000 Compensation for Suicide Patient
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