£65k payout over 'inhumane' care at Walsall's Manor Hospital
A woman with severe learning disabilities whose family claimed she received poor care at Walsall Manor Hospital and a doll she treated like a baby was damaged has been awarded a £65,000 settlement from the NHS Trust.
Legal action was launched against Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust after the family of Susan Hearsey alleged the 64-year-old was subjected to 'inhumane' treatment after being admitted to the hospital.
The trust, which has issued a formal apology to the family, has now also agreed to an independent investigation.
Ms Hearsey was admitted to the hospital in September 2013 following a fall.
It was alleged that she was not provided adequate hygienic care and that the doll she loved as if it was her own baby was purposefully damaged by a nurse because Ms Hearsey was not doing as she was asked.
Ms Hearsey's sister Jane Dunn, said the ordeal, in which the doll was found on the floor with its arm severed, some clothes missing, the legs damaged and a chunk of its hair missing, had a 'devastating effect' on Ms Hearsey and her family.
Human rights expert Merry Varney, who represented the family on behalf of law firm Leigh Day, said the settlement was approved at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
The court was told that in addition to the compensation the Trust had agreed to an independent investigation into the events.
Ms Varney said the money would now go towards paying for the necessary equipment to enable Ms Hearsey to access the care and therapy she needs to start to recover from her ordeal.
She said: "Susan, a vulnerable patient with a severe learning disability, loved her baby doll as though it was her own child and she may never recover from the cruelty she suffered while at the Walsall Manor Hospital.
"After facing denials from the hospital and only an offer to replace the doll, achieving financial compensation and an independent investigation finally brings her some justice.
"This case underlines the important protections afforded by our Human Rights Act, which we relied upon to argue for these wider outcomes for Susan."
In addition to the damage caused to the doll the Trust faced allegations of wider neglect and abuse including that staff were distracted whilst on duty and lacked an understanding of Ms Hearsey's special needs.
Richard Kirby, chief executive of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust said: "We are very sorry that this incident occurred and would like to apologise to Ms Hearsey and her family.
"The Trust conducted a thorough internal investigation immediately following the incident and spoke with Ms Hearsey's family to discuss their concerns.
"The outcome and actions taken following the investigation were also shared with the family to reassure them that appropriate action had been undertaken and controls put in place to ensure that this would not happen again. Once again, we offer our sincere apologies."
