Flesh Eating Disease Leads To Loss Of Finger

After repeatedly seeking medical attention for a painful and discoloured finger, medical professionals finally realised Gary had necrotising fasciitis. By the time surgery was performed it was too late and his finger had to be amputated.

One Sunday morning, Gary woke up with an ache in his left index finger. This quickly worsened and by midday his finger had started to swell and turn purple. By the evening he was an extreme pain and had flu-like symptoms, so he attended hospital and was seen by the nurse. However, the nurse did not perform any tests or even take his temperature.

That night, Gary was in so much agony that it was simply unbearable. He called the NHS Helpline twice to no avail. Eventually his wife urged him to attend another hospital as it was evident that something was not right. In hospital Gary was given the maximum dose of morphine but this did nothing to alleviate his pain. The doctor therefore decided to stick a needle in Gary’s finger to drain the pus. He describes this as ‘torture’ and the pain only eased when a nerve block was administered.

Uncertain what action to take, the hospital referred Gary to another A&E department. There a junior doctor cut his finger open with a scalpel, believing it to be an infection of the fingernail. This was so painful Gary lost consciousness. Eventually he was admitted to the ward for the night but received no treatment other than morphine – not even antibiotics.

On Monday morning several doctors assessed Gary’s hand and took some blood tests. They seemed concerned and informed him that surgery needed to be performed urgently. Nevertheless, he was not taken to theatre for another three hours. The following morning, when Gary had recovered from the anaesthetic, he was told that he had a necrotising fasciitis infection which had been triggered by a small paper cut. He was on intravenous antibiotics for another two days, after which he was discharged.

Despite being allowed home, Gary’s finger was still black and had a foul odour. The consultant had also told him that another operation would be required to amputate the finger at the base of the knuckle as it could not be saved. This was eventually carried out 13 days later.

After the operation Gary was discharged almost immediately; it was Christmas Eve and the hospital said they needed to close the ward. However, in the early hours of Christmas Day he became very unwell. The NHS Helpline said they were too busy, so Gary’s wife called an ambulance. In hospital the doctor gave him some morphine and some stronger medication, admitting that he couldn’t understand why Gary had been allowed home.

It is now several years since Gary’s amputation and the loss of his finger has affected his life in many ways. He continues to suffer constant pain and he cannot enjoy the leisure activities he once used to. His ability to work has been affected and the knowledge that he could easily have died from the infection has caused him psychological trauma.

Understandably, Gary was upset by the appalling standards of care he received from all three hospitals he attended during the course of his illness. We agreed that had he been given antibiotics when he first presented to hospital, his finger could have been saved. Furthermore he should not have been sent home with a dead and gangrenous finger, as surgery should have been performed without delay.

We helped Gary make a claim for the delayed diagnosis and treatment of necrotising fasciitis, obtaining over £40,000 compensation on his behalf.

(Details which might identify our client have been changed.)

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