header-logo header-logo

Doc brief

18 October 2007 / B Mahendra
Issue: 7293 / Categories: Features
printer mail-detail

NO FAULT TRAGEDY >>
HIDDEN VIOLENCE >>
CONFLICT IN CHILD PROTECTION >>
INTERIM DISCIPLINE >>

NO FAULT TRAGEDY

In Sutcliffe v BMI Healthcare Ltd (2007) EWCA Civ 476, Mr Sutcliffe had been a keen amateur rugby football player, aged 33, who underwent a routine operation on his injured knee. The operation was performed successfully and he appeared to be making an uneventful recovery—although naturally suffering pain which he controlled through standard self-administered doses of morphine. He spent a sleepless night and fell asleep at 6.00am, when the decision was taken to let him sleep undisturbed. At 8.15am he still seemed to be in untroubled sleep. At some point thereafter he appears to have vomited and, whereas the normal reaction would have been to have woken up, coughed and removed any obstruction to the airways, Mr Sutcliffe’s reactions, perhaps dulled by the morphine, had been impaired with the consequence that the vomited matter had entered his lungs, obstructing the flow of oxygen. As a consequence he suffered massive brain damage from which he will not recover.

Breaches in nursing care

Mr

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll