£10,000 award for delay in diagnosing and treating a heel pressure sore

Expert witnesses in the case were strongly of the opinion that the hospital had failed to follow its own pressure sore prevention protocol and had failed to properly monitor the patient’s condition after his surgery.

The pressure sore meant that the patient required heel guards and special footwear. It complicated his recovery from the hip surgery as he was unable to mobilise with his affected heel. He was advised that the heel would always be prone to further tissue breakdown in that area as a result.