Hayley Combe went to hospital after her legs went numb while shopping
Ms Combe has been left with a ‘life-changing’ condition(Image: Hayley Combe/ Irwin Mitchell)
A mum says she was sent home from a Nottinghamshire hospital twice despite showing “red flag symptoms” for a debilitating spinal condition.
Hayley Combe, 40, attended the A&E department at King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield on two occasions in 2021, complaining of symptoms including severe back pain, difficulty in mobilising and pins and needles and numbness in her legs.
An MRI scan later showed she had acute cauda equina syndrome, a compression of the spinal nerves, and she had to be sent to another hospital for surgery.
The Nottingham mum-of-three says she is now in constant pain and relies on support to manage her daily life, adding: “Even things many people take for granted such as playing with the kids and going out to work are a challenge.”
Ms Combe has now launched legal action against the trust which runs the hospital, Sherwood Forest Hospitals. The trust has issued an apology to her.
On her first visit to King’s Mill Hospital on July 23, 2021, Ms Combe said she was referred to the hospital’s ‘majors’ unit to rule out a potential diagnosis of cauda equina syndrome.
“I’d been suffering from increasing pain which was a bit concerning but I was able to manage. However, then one day both my legs went numb while out shopping,” she recalled.
But following two assessments by junior doctors, she was sent home with painkillers and told to arrange an MRI scan via her GP.
On August 3, Ms Combe had an MRI scan organised by her GP, where she was told that the scan was showing severe compression on her spinal cord.
The following day, she returned to the hospital on the advice of her GP, who was concerned about a loss of sensation and weakness in both her legs.
“In the days before my second visit, my legs had started giving way, and I was using crutches to get around. Even at that stage and after asking if I could remain in hospital until my MRI results were known, I was sent home,” she said.
Ms Combes said she was not allowed to stay as it was “unlikely to be an acute problem” and there was a risk of catching Covid.
“Deep down I knew something wasn’t right but both times I went to hospital it felt like the doctors weren’t too concerned.
After Ms Combe was sent home, the “devastating” scan results came back showing acute cauda equina syndrome, requiring an urgent referral for surgery.
The following day, she was referred to a different hospital, where she underwent emergency decompression surgery on August 6, 2021.
Hayley Combe(Image: Hayley Combe/ Irwin Mitchell)
Following her decompression surgery, Ms Combe spent nine days in hospital, and her condition means she has had to move to a job closer to home.
Her condition also means she struggles to join in with family activities such as visiting National Trust properties or going on family walks.
“I can’t thank enough the doctors who performed my decompression surgery but I now live with constant pain. I’ve had to adapt to new limitations, both physically and emotionally,” she said.
“My independence has been affected and I rely on aids and support to manage daily life. Even things many people take for granted such as playing with the kids and going out to work are a challenge.
“I know I can’t change what’s happened but the least I feel I deserve is answers. I want to know whether more could have done to diagnose my condition sooner, and if so, would an earlier diagnosis have prevented the issues I now have to live with?”
Julianne Moore, a medical negligence lawyer with Irwin Mitchell, which is representing Ms Combe, said: “What Hayley has gone through has not only been incredibly traumatic for her but also her family.
“The first-hand account we’ve heard from Hayley, in particularly how she twice attended hospital with red flag symptoms of the condition, is particularly worrying.”
Dr Simon Roe, chief medical officer at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “We are sorry to hear of Hayley’s experiences at Sherwood Forest Hospitals. As legal action is underway, we are currently unable to comment on the specific details of this case.
“However, we work hard to maintain high standards and provide the best possible care for all our patients and are committed to continuously improving the quality and safety of the care that we provide.
“We value all opportunities to learn from examples where we have not delivered care to the high standards that we set ourselves.”
