£200,000 settlement following delayed diagnosis of perianal abscess

He went to his GP because he was in so much pain that he could barely sit down. Less than a week later, he was in hospital with a life-threatening infection, facing extensive surgery and an uncertain recovery.

Before his illness, our client enjoyed an active life. He loved swimming, cycling and travelling with his family. When he first noticed discomfort in his buttocks following a long car journey, he assumed it was simply the result of sitting for too long.

But the pain became steadily worse. Paracetamol brought little relief and, within days, he was struggling to sit or lie on his back.

He decided to see his GP. As I later found when investigating his claim, this was the first of two consultations during which opportunities to identify and treat the infection were, we alleged, missed.

At his first appointment, our client explained that he was in considerable pain and had not opened his bowels for several days.

There was a dispute about the examination. Our client maintained that the GP had not physically examined him or inspected the painful area; the GP’s account was that an examination had been carried out while he was standing because he was unable to lie down.

He was advised to take ibuprofen and lactulose for constipation, and to return if his symptoms did not improve.

Two days later, the pain was unbearable. He was struggling to walk, had lost his appetite and noticed redness and swelling around his buttocks. Unable to attend the surgery, he requested a telephone consultation.

Several hours and further calls passed before he spoke to another GP, who recognised that he had an infection and prescribed antibiotics. However, our client was not asked to attend for an examination or advised to seek an urgent hospital assessment.

He later recalled:

“Even during the phone call a few days later, after chasing them up for a contact while I was clearly deteriorating and not thinking clearly, the GP still didn’t advise me to come in or go to A&E.”

His condition continued to deteriorate. Two days later, pus began discharging from the affected area. He contacted NHS 111 and was advised to attend hospital.

At hospital, doctors diagnosed necrotising fasciitis, a rare but extremely serious infection that destroys the body’s soft tissues.

They found a large perianal abscess (a collection of pus around the anus) that had not been identified or appropriately treated. The infection had spread into his buttocks and surrounding tissues, and he had developed sepsis, a potentially life-threatening reaction to infection.

He required extensive surgery to remove infected and damaged tissue, treatment in intensive care and further operations.

“The pain I experienced during the illness and after the operations was indescribable,” he told us.

Although he spoke highly of the hospital staff who treated him, he struggled to understand why his symptoms had not prompted more thorough investigations when he first sought help.

Our client’s wounds needed cleaning and dressing several times a day. He remained largely confined to his home for months, relying heavily on his wife while he recovered.

The experience affected the whole family.

“My wife carried a tremendous emotional and practical burden,” he explained.

She took considerable time away from work to care for him while coping with the fear and uncertainty surrounding his illness.

When his wounds eventually healed, our client was left with scarring and missing tissue that caused constant discomfort, and he could no longer lift heavy objects. Even going out required more planning: he needed to know where the nearest toilet was and had to be careful about what he ate during the working day.

Swimming, something he had previously loved, became another casualty. He was frightened that another infection might trigger necrotising fasciitis again.

His wife, meanwhile, had become anxious whenever someone in the family showed signs of illness.

When our client contacted RWK Goodman, he wanted to understand whether the seriousness of his illness could have been avoided.

I investigated the care provided by his GP practice, focusing on the opportunities to recognise and treat the infection before his condition deteriorated. The question was not simply whether the abscess should have been diagnosed sooner, but what difference earlier diagnosis and appropriate treatment would probably have made.

The evidence we obtained supported our case that earlier diagnosis and treatment of the perianal abscess would have prevented the infection progressing to necrotising fasciitis and sepsis. Our client would also have avoided the extensive surgery, intensive care treatment and prolonged recovery that followed.

What troubled me particularly was how clearly his symptoms were worsening. He had sought help, explained the severity of his pain and contacted the practice again when he deteriorated. Yet the underlying problem remained undiagnosed until he reached hospital.

In GP negligence claims, establishing what should reasonably have happened during a consultation is only part of the investigation. We must also consider whether different care would have prevented the injuries suffered.

We brought a clinical negligence claim on our client’s behalf. He accepted a Part 36 offer of £200,000 from the defendant, bringing the claim to a close without the need for a trial.

The compensation will help him access further treatment, including surgery to address the scarring around his perineum, and pelvic floor physiotherapy.

It cannot undo the pain he suffered or the months he spent recovering, but it will help him manage the continuing effects of his injuries.

Our client wanted to share his story because he hoped that others might be spared a similar ordeal.

He had trusted that the treatment he was given would help. Instead, his condition worsened until he needed emergency hospital care. His advice to others is heartfelt:

“This experience taught me a painful but important lesson: don’t give up, and do not blindly accept a doctor’s opinion if your instincts tell you something is seriously wrong. Seek another opinion. Always push for care.”

Not every worsening infection involves negligence. But severe or deteriorating symptoms need appropriate assessment, and opportunities to recognise a serious infection should not be missed. What stays with me is the contrast between the active life our client enjoyed before becoming ill and the adjustments he now makes every day. He hopes that sharing his story will help prevent someone else enduring the same ordeal.

If you have suffered serious harm because of a possible delay in diagnosing or treating an infection, our specialist medical negligence solicitors can investigate what happened and advise whether you may have a claim.