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Hospital apologises after treatment blunder left girl with rare hip condition

Source: , Posted On:   30 March 2021

Treatment blunder left girl with rare hip condition

A family has successfully sued the NHS after a teenage girl was left in agony following delays in treatment for a hip condition which has left her struggling to walk.

Josephine George, 15, is likely to require a hip replacement in her early 20s after medics repeatedly misdiagnosed her condition as a torn muscle.

The youngster first went to her GP complaining of pain in her left knee and hip when she was aged 11 in March 2017.

But she was repeatedly told she had a tear in her thigh muscle and told to use Deep Heat to help with the pain.

After collapsing in pain and being unable to stand and walk Josephine attended A&E at Warwick Hospital the following month - but once again the problem was missed.

In May 2017 she returned to hospital on the advice of her physiotherapist and an x-ray finally found she had a slipped upper femoral epiphysis (SUFE).

Her family, of Leamington Spa, instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers to investigate the standard of care their daughter received.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust have both admitted a breach in Josephine’s care after examinations were confirmed to have been inadequate.

 

"She's still so young"

Mum Rachel George, 51, said her daughter used to be very active and sporty but now endures ongoing pain and mobility issues.

HR manager Rachel added: “The last few years have been incredibly upsetting for us all and Josephine has had to endure so much unnecessary pain and suffering.

“It took so long for us to get the correct diagnosis and then it was followed by surgery and the osteoplasty.

“There are concerns whether her condition could possibly lead to early-onset osteoarthritis, calluses in her hip joint and wearing away of her bone.

“We have been told that if the planned surgery is not successful, Josephine could require a hip replacement in her 20s which is a very scary thought.

Josephine was initially told the pain was caused by a torn muscle (Image: SWNS)

“It is all very difficult for Josephine to comprehend.

"She is still so young and used to be a very active and sporty girl before this happened.

“She has even changed her job aspirations as she will not be able to work in certain professions due to her condition.

“It’s really hard for us to see her struggle, and we support her as much as we can.

“We are pleased that the hospital trusts have admitted their failings, but it doesn’t change what our daughter has gone through and to find out it could have been avoided is not easy to accept.

“All we can hope for now is that our story makes others aware of the symptoms of SUFE and that lessons are learned so other families don’t have to suffer like we have.”

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What is SUFE?

SUFE is described as a break in the ball joint of the hip, resulting in the thigh bone slipping out of the socket and twisting outwards.

It usually affects children between the ages of 11 and 17 and is more common in boys than girls.

The NHS trusts have admitted that had Josephine been fully assessed during her attendances at A&E and physiotherapy she would have been diagnosed.

The trusts said: “As a result, she suffered avoidable pain and suffering that would have been avoided with earlier treatment.”

 

Both trusts have now agreed on an interim payment which Josephine’s family intend to use to seek private treatment as she awaits further surgery.

She first began to feel pain in her left knee and hip after taking part in sporting activities and her GP initially diagnosed her with a thigh muscle tear.

Her GP then referred her to physiotherapy care, which was provided at Chelmsley Wood Primary Care Centre in Birmingham, and advised her to use Deep Heat.

The following month Josephine attended a physiotherapy appointment but three days later, she collapsed in pain and was unable to stand and walk.

She has been left struggling to walk (Image: SWNS)

After being correctly diagnosed, Josephine’s leg was immediately immobilised and she underwent surgery the following day.

Following the operation, Josephine struggled to weight-bear on her left leg and required crutches to walk.

She suffered from pain in her back and knee and continued to walk with a limp.

In July 2018, Josephine underwent further surgery in the form of an osteoplasty which altered the shape of her hip.

Unfortunately this did not significantly improve Josephine’s condition and a further osteotomy or osteoplasty has been recommended.

It was initially hoped this surgery would go ahead in around April 2020 but it was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Lessons need to be learned"

Jade Elliott-Archer, a medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, which is representing the family, said: “The past few years have been incredibly difficult for Josephine.

"Firstly being diagnosed with SUFE at such a young age and then finding out that it should have been discovered sooner.

“She now has to live with ongoing pain and struggles with any activity, including walking.

“While we appreciate the admissions from the NHS Trusts we urge that lessons are learned so others don’t have to go through what Josephine has.”

A spokesperson for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are very sorry that Josephine did not receive the care that she should expect from us and for the pain she has experienced.

"Our legal team are working with Josephine’s solicitors to resolve this matter as soon as we can.”

South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust did not respond to a request for comment.

 

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