Mother in £400,000 deep vein thrombosis compensation

A mother is to be awarded £400,000 in compensation for a hospital's failures around her developing a potentially fatal blood clot after giving birth.

The 41-year-old will receive the payout to settle her medical negligence case against South Eastern Health Trust.

She developed deep vein thrombosis in her leg after her first child was born at the Ulster Hospital in June 2009.

She had claimed that as a pregnant woman over the age of 35, she was not properly assessed as being at risk.

Liability admitted

Further alleged negligence occurred when she first went to accident and emergency following the birth with symptoms of deep vein thrombosis.

With women more likely to develop blood clots of this type during pregnancy, they can be fatal if they dislodge and travel to the lungs.

The woman, who has since had two more children, said she was told it was probably just her hormones.

Liability was admitted before the level of compensation was agreed.

Speaking after the case was settled at the High Court in Belfast, the civil servant said there had been an ongoing traumatic impact.

"It's affected every aspect of my life, I just feel old before my time," she said.

"I find walking for more than 10-15 minutes very hard to endure and stairs are incredibly difficult."

She had to undergo further operations following the births of her other two children due to associated issues.

"If it had clotted again I could have lost my leg," she added.

As well as her medication, the woman says she now has to wear tight stockings "the equivalent of a wetsuit".