As a solicitor, being able to assist clients in successfully reaching a conclusion to an aspect of their life which has been the cause of significant distress and worry is always extremely satisfying and rewarding.
Get to Know Shauna
Shauna is senior solicitor and has specialised in medical negligence since qualifying in 2013. Her cases include complex issues involving delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of conditions and illnesses, surgical errors in hospitals, birth injury and GP negligence.
Shauna prides herself on being open and honest when supporting her clients, recognising the claims process can be daunting for someone who has lost trust in medical professionals. Shauna ensures she provides her clients with the highest level of support throughout the process and has the ability to explain what is happening and why, whilst avoiding unnecessary technical or legal jargon.
Career Highlights
I acted for a family who sadly lost their mother and grandmother following a hospital’s failure to identify signs of lung cancer. This led to a delay in diagnosis and treatment of 12 months. An X-ray was wrongly recorded as not showing anything significant so was not followed up within six weeks, as it should have been. The family lost four precious years with their much loved family member due to the delay.
I also secured compensation for the family of an elderly patient who suffered a massive blood clot and died after being left without the vital blood-thinning medication she required for more than two days, due to a mix-up over medication.
A Serious Incident Review at the Hospital Trust highlighted that there was a lack of system to prevent the error being made. In cases such as this I feel our role plays a vital part in ensuring such errors are fully investigated, and that lessons are learned for future patients.
Recently I have secured admissions from a hospital trust that reviews of chest x-rays on another of my clients fell below expected standards, in that a tumour, which had been visible, was not identified, therefore missing an opportunity to diagnose her lung cancer.
The Trust also admitted the cancer would have been diagnosed earlier had the radiographs had been appropriately interpreted. My client believed her symptoms of a persistent cough and feeling short of breath were ‘dismissed’ by health professionals because she was an otherwise healthy 50-year-old who was a non-smoker at the time.
I also acted in another case where an elderly life was lost in a hospital because of a failure to follow basic procedures. In this case it was a cancer patient who died from a brain injury after suffering three falls in hospital because staff failed to keep him safe. Despite knowing he was at risk of falls, staff failed to carry out an adequate assessments and did not take basic steps to ensure his safety.
Giving More
I’m very proud of our local charities in Hull and volunteer for Her Breast Friends which supports those with breast cancer, I’ve also support the National Deaf Children’s Society, a charity close to my heart.
