Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital trust appendix patient wins £130k settlement

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has apologised over failings in the patient's care

A hospital patient has won a £130,000 settlement after a failed appendix operation.

The man has developed lifelong bowel issues since the 2018 surgery at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, his lawyers said.

The patient said the settlement was "a relief", but he still felt "angry" about what had happened to him.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has apologised and said a review had been carried out to learn lessons after failings in his care.

A surgeon mistakenly removed a piece of fatty tissue instead of the patient's appendix, his lawyer said, damaging blood vessels going to his small bowel.

"The psychological impact was enormous. I was 24 when I went in, and it was hugely traumatic," the patient, who wished to remain anonymous, told BBC Radio Shropshire.

Now 29 years old, he added that he now had a lifelong bowel condition called severe bile acid malabsorption, which required daily medication. He also suffers with diarrhoea and pain.

While admitting that medics failed to remove the appendix and damaged blood vessels, his lawyer said the hospital trust did not accept bowel issues were caused by those failings.

SaTH Medical Director Dr John Jones said: "We acknowledge agreement of the settlement and would like to again offer our sincere apologies for the failings in his care. "A review into this case has been carried out to learn lessons as we are committed to improving the quality of care that we provide."

The NHS spent almost £2.7bn on settlement payouts in 2022-23, a rise of 9.5% on the year.