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!!

Absolutely, here it is @Qwerty556

I had a traumatic birth where I was told my child might die. I was scheduled for a sudden C-section during a routine hospital check-up a month before my due date.

The day after my C-section, roughly 8-12 hours later I would say, the nurse walked in and I asked if she could help me pull up my
hospital tights as they were wrapped around my ankles and I was struggling to bend over. I am a wimp, to be quite fair. She scoffed and said, Are you a fucking Princess?

I said “what? I can’t pull them up. I didn’t mean to sound offensive, if that’s how it wounded.”

She then shut the curtain and walked out. I remember sitting in silence and the lady behind the curtain (room with two people) had overheard so she very kindly and quietly popped in and helped me. Neither of us did a great job but at least my bum was covered.

i remember hobbling outside the room and seeing the name nurse stood at the reception-bit a few steps in front of my room. She clearly said my Bed number and was mocking me for “asking me to pull her knickers up” and I heard her.

i walked past her as she started moving away, i wanted her to see me, and I asked the receptionist for her name. The nurse was about to walk off but turned around when she heard what I asked and at that moment she grabbed my hospital gown collar bit and shouted in my face.

She was swearing and said she will fuck me up and called me a bitch. I clearly remember a pair of new parents stood at the little room where you can warm milk up in a microwave staring at us in shock.

the manager had walked in during the assault and she was the one who took me away from the nurse.

if you want the nurse’s whole perspective I.e. whether or not she had just been having a bad day or a bereavement or a mental health issue, I can’t tell you that.

i can tell you that I don’t think it is normal for a medical professional to grab a new-mother recovering from a C section in full view of others.

Did any of the other staff and visitors say anything at the time OP, because if I saw a nurse grabbing a patient by the neck, I would definitely have to say something, and I'm sure other people would too.

The hospital won't tell you what (if any) action was taken against any employee - that would be breaking confidentiality.

@Ravenclaw101 trust me, this happened. This is the first time I have spoken about it openly in 5 years. Can you see why it makes me feel shaky and afraid?

also to the money-grabbing comments, @Humbugg can you please tell me how many times I have asked about financial compensation and how much of this thread is related to me clearly discussing what happened and taking on advice about what should have been done at the time and what should be done now?

I don’t think it was handled properly and that’s why I feel like it was left undone.

@2dogsandabudgie no staff spoke to me about it except the ward manager. I remember her well like I said. Other patients did pop in and ask if i was ok afterwards but no one said a word when it happened and i don't know if any other new mums or their partners addressed it with hospital staff.

Please don’t take this the wrong way OP, but something about your posts doesn’t sound credible if we take everything as truth and this will be your problem if you try to pursue this. Eg If a bunch of witnesses saw an NHS patient in a hospital being physically assaulted and verbally abused by NHS staff, why didn’t any of them raise something? 2018 wasn’t that long ago, people still filmed social injustices and posted those on social media so I find it hard to fathom that absolutely no one could advocate for you. Obviously you were/are vulnerable and couldn’t advocate for yourself but I think you’d struggle to evidence your claims. If you are going to take this further, it’s the police you need, they may be able to trace witnesses to corroborate your version of events. Only after the police investigate and the courts find that staff member guilty could you get compensation imo. You literally have no evidence as it stands

Oh yes there is. I was horrifically abused when screaming in agony in A&E. I was refused pain relief as she accused me of making it up to queue jump. I went to PALS, local MP, meeting at hospital. I was told that they were unable to identify the nurse as there were two who looked similar!

I not saying I don't believe you but this seems beyond credible .

What meds were you on op?

If a nurse had actually done what you claim there would have been instant consequences.

I am questioning your recollection and whether it actually happened or whether you were on strong medication and misremembered.

But in this case OP has said they have the name and have all clearly identified her.

I've been a nurse for over 30 years and managed teams for more than half of that

Never ever have I heard anything like that and the closest I got to witnessing inappropriate behaviour of a porter losing his temper .. he was suspended on the spot and sacked 4 weeks later for breaking organisations values

No manager would witness this and do nothing

@kissnm thank you, mainly for how kind your message was written. I appreciate the detail you put in and your honesty.

i am usually quite outspoken but at the time i was, tbh, extremely vulnerable. I was going through a massive family issue and marriage problems. Other things were going on too but I am already worried I have outed myself.

i remember the manager asking me Either sign or read something, so i am now 99% sure there is at least one piece of documentation.

I guess i am just wondering about possibilities. For all I know the nurse may have left - all I have is her full name.

also, while the maternity ward I was in was quiet and relatively empty at the time, I know for a fact at least 5-6 mums/dads witnessed what happened along with the ward manager and a handful of other nurses. This really happened.

I'm confused about the tights OP. I have heard of surgical stockings which come up to your knees, but not actual tights, although I have never had a c section so perhaps other people on this thread who have could clarify.

Surely if this happened in front of the ward manager, visitors, staff, patients and the person you were complaining to you wouldn’t have needed to make a report - the staff / ward manager would have made the report on your behalf?

See if the woman is still working (and where) and then decide what to do next. Forget about compensation but think about therapy instead - why would money make the experience any easier to forget?

In answer to the question in your thread title - No, you can't get compo for this.

Maybe try selling stuff on Vinted?

This incident certainly should have been reported as she could well have lost her licence. I’d still make a complaint to PALs but I think given the time they has past you won’t get compensation and I don’t know if they will take action. However she will have a note on her file.

Who gave you this name?

@capabilityfrowns i think I was on nothing particularly strong except normal pain medication and something related to my blood as it had been a C Section. not only do I remember the event clearly, my family all heard me speak about it when I told them what happened and can corroborate what I have said, the only problem being none of them were physical witnesses to the event.

the ward manager herself witnessed it. She took me to my hospital bed and actually hugged me. She then came back shortly after and called me to her a small room which I think was her office. i am now feeling sure that she documented it. She was also the one who wrote the nurse’s name on the paper slip for me. I think it was because she assumed I would go to PALs?

@anybloodyname honestly I know where you are coming from but this was a literal healthcare professional who grabbed me by the neck so there are clearly some very disturbed individuals.

@Qwerty556 i know what you mean. The people I know who I shared this with were also gobsmacked but I can guarantee this is a real story. It happened in a London hospital.

Whether or not this is entirely accurate is probably irrelevant. You have not a shred of proof, if there was any proof it's long since disappeared. For your own sake you need to move on, get counselling if you need help with that...

But there won't be compensation coming your way. There might be years of litigation, £- thousands in legal fees, and no satisfaction.

This sounds deluded to me. Literally a delusion, what drugs had you been given?

You only have three years to put in a claim for compensation. I know because I did sue and win against the sainted NHS when one of their surgeons very nearly killed me and left me with a life limiting condition.

The hospital will have a complaints process, you need to use this.

@Erby Did something sad happen in your life? Is that why you are making a joke out of me being assaulted by someone who was there to care for my health after I gave birth to my first child under traumatising circumstances? I really feel sorry for you if you think this is funny. perhaps you will feel differently if it happens to you or someone you love.

Why do you think compensation is appropriate? Did you lose coins on the floor when she grabbed you?