A paramedic who was left severely disabled after surgeons removed the wrong part of his brain during a biopsy has received £1m compensation from the NHS.
John Tunney, 63, now requires round-the-clock care as he has been left partially blind due to the botched operation to remove a brain tumour.
The removing of healthy tissue caused Mr Tunney’s brain to haemorrhage and resulted in his disabilities.
Had medical staff checked the blood test results they would have discovered the tumour was benign and could have treated his condition with tablets.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust admitted liability for the blunder and he was awarded a seven figure compensation payout as a result.
Mr Tunney worked as a paramedic with West Midlands Ambulance Service for twenty-three years. In 2008 he underwent a series of tests with suspected thyroid problems.
Following MRI scans Mr Tunney was referred to Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry after abnormalities around his pituitary gland were discovered.
Despite having a blood test to determine hormone levels, doctors failed to look at the results.
Following the disastrous operation his wife, Pamela said: “Our lives have both been completely devastated by a completely avoidable brain injury.
“It’s something that we have to deal with every single day of our lives.
“He gets very frustrated at times that he cannot do the things he once took for granted.
“I remember how we were initially so thankful that this underlying condition had been spotted early.
“Before the surgery he was a very easy-going, active person who was always on the go.
“To see the change in him and to know that it was all entirely avoidable is extremely upsetting.
“This mistake is not something that the hospital can just take back.
“I pray that they don’t make this sort of error again and no other family has to experience seeing their husband suffer the pain and loss that John has.
“John was forever praising the work of doctors, so it was only natural for him to put his complete trust in the surgeon after they told him that he needed urgent brain surgery.
“It is appalling to think the surgeon managed to botch the procedure completely and then to find that the biopsy wasn’t even necessary makes me incredibly angry.”
Chief medical officer form Walsgrave Hospital, Meghana Pandit said: “While we acknowledge that the financial settlement he has now received can never compensate for his suffering, I do hope that our sincere assurances that organisational learning from his management mean that patients with similar conditions will experience high quality and safe care will be reassuring to him.”
