Deaf News: Pensioner left deaf after being given double dose of medicine by bungling doctors

Posted on September 11, 2013 by


A 77-year-old pensioner from Somerset has become deaf after doctors made a mistake by giving him a double dose of medication.

In 2009, doctors at the Royal United Hospital in Bath gave Albert Davenport twice the recommended amount of antibiotics. As a result, he has lost most of his hearing in his right ear and some of the hearing in his left ear. Medical experts say taking high doses of Gentamicin, a strong antibiotic, could damage people’s hearing.

Mr Davenport was admitted to hospital in 2009 with leg pain and swelling following a recent treatment for prostate cancer. After doctors gave him the medication, he noticed that his hearing was getting worse.

He was not impressed with the way he has been treated during his stay at hospital. He discovered that doctors made a mistake when he made an official complaint. He said the hospital “tried to brush it under the carpet” by not telling him straight away after the incident.

With the help of his legal team, he successfully sued the hospital. The hospital said they offered their “sincere apologises for the error, and the distress it has caused him, and have agreed a settlement.”

Mr Davenport has now been awarded £40,000 in compensation to pay for his new hearing aids and speech therapy. He said he was relieved that the hospital trust has admitted their responsibility for the blunder.

He said: “Nothing can turn back the clock or make up for what happened but I hope that I can now begin to move forward with my life with help from the hearing aids and therapies.”

By Paul Harrison, the Limping Chicken’s News Reporter. Paul is a freelance journalist, currently living and working in London. When not at his desk writing or tweeting, he can be found at a coffee shop or Loftus Road/The Stoop/Celtic Park (delete as applicable) mumbling insults at the referee or sloppy passing. Follow him on Twitter as @paulbharrison

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