Can I get compensation? Assaulted at hospital

[Plzstopthisstupidity]

Good evening Mumsnet

My sister recently announced she is pregnant and it brought back a memory of something I had buried.

5 years ago, I had a C-section. The day after in hospital, when I was recovering, a nurse grabbed me by the neck in a hallway of patients, staff and visitors and threatened me. She verbally and physically assaulted me.

I can’t discuss the reasons behind it but long story short was she verbally abused me in private (my room) and then when she heard me trying to complain, she grabbed me.

The manager of the maternity ward saw this and spoke to me. She apologised and comforted me. I was humiliated, sobbing and traumatised at the time.

I moved on. I still think about it… more so recently.

I was given the nurse’s name and found out that she is still working in the hospital (this was a year ago not sure if she is still there now).

I am starting to feel immensely angry about what happened. Part of me wants to take legal action.

Mumsnet: is there anything I can do? Is it worth even doing anything as it’s been so long since it happened?

just looking for ideas/advice - thank you!!

This is not a response to anything I said, this is the sort of response a small child would say when told off for being naughty.

You mentioned my posts that got deleted. I was called numerous names and not only did I not call the OP names, I didn’t press the report button. Would have been childish if I did.

There are some sociopaths in nursing-it seems to attract them. When my elderly grandmother had broken her hip and they moved her she screamed in pain and one of the nurses said something like "there's no point screaming"-I mean WTH sort of response is that?! I've wanted to make many complaints about behaviour towards my family members that they've told me about. Another time a nurse ripped my dad's chemo IV out his hand and made him bleed because SHE repeatedly couldn't find his vein, then she went off in a huff after he said she was hurting him.

My family are the most easy going people you'd ever imagine and it takes a lot to upset them, and they're never rude yet the way they've been treated by some nurses is appalling. Another nurse told my grandfather to stop complaining about being in pain-she did apologise later when we found out he had stage 4 lung cancer but the damage was done. I understand that nurses are human and have bad days but these things stay with you for years-especially if you lose your loved one not long after they're treated like this. It makes everything so much more painful to know they weren't treated with compassion, more as an inconvenience.

I'm very sorry for your experience OP-I completely believe you and you are right to not want someone like her working with patients. I'm sorry you've not had the support you deserve on here from some posters, it's mumsnet-unfortunately there's almost always a pile on no matter what you post. it's the mumsnet detectives determined to poke holes in everyone's story IDK why.

Yes you didn’t call me names you only called me a money grabbing liar that drip feeds her rape 👏🏽

No, I said your initial intention was money, your story was full of holes. I didn’t call you any names.

Medical negligence solicitor here...

Put simply, you're out of time to bring a civil claim for physical or psychological injuries. You had 3 years from the date of the incident to issue court proceedings. No solicitor will take this on and you should abandon thoughts of financial compensation.

However, a subject access request for your medical records may be helpful to see exactly what was documented at the time.

You could also make a complaint via PALS, although they may also tell you that the timeframe to do so has expired.

Investment in counselling or therapy would probably be more beneficial.

Pinot Pony is this not an alleged criminal assault? It doesn’t really seem to fit into a medical negligence category?

There are approaching 42,000 midwives registered to practice in the UK.

it’s not beyond the realm of reason that a very small percentage may not actually be fit to practice unfortunately.

‘Where I work rotas only need to be kept for 2 years, so it may not be possible to find other witnesses 5 years later.’

I hope you’re not the person responsible for maintaining and storing HR information?

The first problem you'd have is proving it. Can you prove it?
You might think the person who comforted you would confirm it but ime hospital staff close ranks. And if it was documented - that paper would most likely mysteriously vanish . Suddenly people would suffer inexplicable memory loss.

If you don't have, at the very least, witnesses willing to describe what they saw - you've got little chance.

I say this because when my son was born he got stuck and the doctor panicked. Instead of performing the McRoberts manoeuvre, she pulled on his head and caused nerve damage, leaving him with erbs palsy.

We sued. It took our lawyers until he was 10 years old and then the trust finally settled out of court.

My notes? some went missing. Some were altered. Some things were added. The doctor who pulled his head? Well, the hospital had no idea where she was now. She just - didn't work there can't help you we just don't know...🤷

So having experienced how much they lie when there is a person left with a lifelong disability standing right there and written notes that contradict each other and expert testimony that said the injury caused could not have been caused if they had not been negligent - we nearly didn't win and they fought it to the last second.

I have to say I doubt you'll get anywhere close to getting financial compensation from them.

The injustice is hard to deal with.

My son finally got compensation. I wanted an apology. I never got that. They paid out several hundred thousand pounds but couldn't muster up a single sorry. That still rankles and he's 24 years old.

Having gone through that honestly the best advice I can give is find a way to let go of those feelings because they'll eat away at you and change you into someone you just don't want to be.

@Mailista please feel free to report me for
standing up against a bully.

I haven’t seen her call people names?

I was called pathetic, unkind, extremely disturbed, one messed up individual, horrific, cruel, a liar and thick.

I reported the posts in which you personally attacked someone else. Troll hunting isn't alllowed, but personal attacks aren't allowed either.

you are horrific
you are unkind
you have no compassion
you are using my assault and my seeking of support to make yourself feel better through cruelty and unkindness
the only troll here is you
youre a liar and you’re cruel

These are all the OP's words, and are all aimed at another poster. These are all personal attacks.

Oh I think I just saw that post, yes that must have been hard to read. I could see the OP was struggling with the awful onslaught of things that were being said about her while she was trying to explain being attacked, I guess she must have finally cracked. The worst of those posts about her thankfully seem to have been deleted now.

Gosh yes. She was under quite a lot of pressure wasn’t she.

Good advice here, OP.

As I said previously, Subject Access Request. It may give you some closure on its own. In any case it'll give you everything that is recorded and enable you to decide whether to to take it further and what options are available.

I suspect you are out of time for a personal injury claim - I think the time limit is three years but that could be wrong.

You should report to the police imo - it’s a criminal act.

I hope you’re ok now ♥️

“the manager told me they have had problems with her before”

This alone I highly doubt. If that was said, it was very unprofessional.

You need to stop. Your behaviour to this OP is out of control and you should be ashamed of the way you’re behaving.

I guess she did feel under pressure, people usually do when they are being called out. I didn’t report it. She was just showing who she was. I may call someone out when I see a dodgy story or answer a post I am tagged in but I won’t resort to name calling. Name calling always comes from people who can’t back up an argument with facts. Also having been called dreadful names by my parents I know how it feels. She reacted in only way she knows how and that’s not her fault. Maybe the counselling will help with that.

But yet here you are, doing it again. I’ve called someone names before. I’m not proud of it but it’s been after a long period of being wound up and goaded when already vulnerable. So I have empathy.

That’s why I didn’t report it…..