Seaford woman who had part of leg amputated says she has still not received an apology from NHS Trusts

Slater and Gordon said Karen Webb, now 54, lost her lower right leg in 2017 after doctors were unable to treat an ulcer.

The law firm said that after a series of appointments at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and Eastbourne District General Hospital in 2014 and 2015, Karen’s ulcer became so bad that it could no longer be treated with antibiotics.

Slater and Gordon said they helped Karen secure a settlement against the University Hospitals Sussex (UHSussex) and East Sussex Healthcare (ESHT) NHS Trusts. But they said she has still not received an apology from them.

UHSussex and ESHT, which are two separate Trusts, confirmed that they reached a settlement. A spokesperson for UHSussex clarified that the settlement was secured with the former Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (BSUH), which no longer exists due to the formation of UHSussex in 2021.

Karen said: “An apology, just to hear them saying sorry, would have made such a difference to my recovery.”

She said: “Even now, nine years on, it’s something that would help.”

She continued: “While they have paid me a settlement, that is not the same as them saying to me directly, ‘we recognise we failed you and we apologise for that’. I think they need to realise the impact that would have on people. I know for me, it would be a massive thing.”

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Karen said she was actually relieved when she found out her foot and lower leg would be amputated because of the ‘excruciating’ pain of the wound.

Karen now has a prosthetic leg, uses an electric wheelchair for mobility and has experienced difficult times since the operation. She said: “I try to stay positive as much as I can, but sometimes it can be the little things, such as if I have a fall, that can really set me back.”

Slater and Gordon said Emma Doughty, head of clinical negligence at the law firm, acted for Karen in securing a settlement from the NHS Trusts.

Emma said: “This was a very distressing case in which so many opportunities to give Karen the care she needed and deserved were missed. It is only right these NHS Trusts were held to account for that.”

She said the value of an apology ‘cannot be underestimated’, adding: “While her settlement gives her some financial security, an apology would truly help her to move on with her life and get the closure she so badly wants.”

In response to Slater and Gordon and Karen’s comments, UHSussex and ESHT issued a joint statement. They said: “We reached a settlement in this case and wish Mrs Webb well for the future. We are always willing to meet with patients if they are unhappy with their care and would encourage people to express any concerns they have with us directly.”

UHSussex was formed on April 1, 2021, when Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust was acquired by Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.