£2.8m award for ambulance delay
A woman who suffered brain damage after taking an overdose has accepted £2.8m damages from an ambulance service over delays in reaching her.

Claire Burchell, 25, was living in Cleveleys, Lancashire, in October 2001 when she took the overdose while suffering from post-natal depression.

She said the ambulance took 30 minutes to reach her and there were "failures" in her treatment en route to hospital.

The trust agreed to pay compensation without admitting liability.

Mrs Burchell, who now lives in Milton Keynes, said in a document produced at the High Court in London that the ambulance should have taken only 10 minutes to arrive at her house.

'Waited four years'

She was suffering depression following the birth of her second child in November 2000.

Mr Justice Newman said it was a "wholly appropriate settlement".

The family's solicitor, Tom Osborne, said following the hearing that "from the time of the emergency call it took half an hour for the ambulance service to locate Mrs Burchell".

He added: "The family has had to wait four years for an agreed settlement and after their tragic experience we are relieved they have not had to endure the trauma of a trial."

from bbc.co.uk

Was it the ambulance men who made her take the overdose? :suspect:

this made me so agree. what a pathetic excuse for a person. she tried to kill herself and failed. who's fault is that? hers. If I commited suicide and the same happened I wouldn't have the audacity to sue.

so if they had been 10 minutes later and she had died then that would be fine then.

taking 2.8 million out of the NHS :rant:

Tell you what. If they'd like to put her in a woods somewhere nearby I'll kill her for free. everyone's a winner

Absolutely flippin mental.

I read in the paper earlier that a convicted fraudster successfully won compo from the prison because of erectile dysfunction caused by slipping in the shower. Which made me laugh.

fully agreed Robbie. I did think that my opinion on this would get slated by other forummers (although there is still time). She should be thoroughly ashamed of herself for this.

The NHS workers have a hard enough job as it is without selfish people like this making it even harder.

Originally posted by limpetboy
Absolutely flippin mental.

I read in the paper earlier that a convicted fraudster successfully won compo from the prison because of erectile dysfunction caused by slipping in the shower. Which made me laugh.

Reading this, and then seeing your username at a glance also gave me a chuckle :heyhey:

Originally posted by spyro2000
Reading this, and then seeing your username at a glance also gave me a chuckle :heyhey:

Lol, easy tiger. *manly grunt* No problems in that area geezer *adjusts self in masculine way*

no wonder the nhs is struggling that 2.8 million could have been put to far greater use ! absolutely absurd

The fact that she tried to kill herself and failed is no fault of the NHS,she suffered brain damage as a direct result of her own actions.
Why should the NHS have to shell out if a person causes their own brain damage?.

She should have been made to pay the NHS for wasting their time,the NHS treated her for her own inflictions,what do they get in return?,bled to the tune of 2.8 million.

Total madness,whatever next?, yeh I know drink 15 pints of stella,start a punch up in town put someone in hospital and blame the pub landlord,the answer to all our prayers just blame someone else for your own fowl ups.

:rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant:
Arrrrgh!
How brain damaged is she exactly ?

Originally posted by AGB1
:rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant:
Arrrrgh!
How brain damaged is she exactly ?

Not enough! That’s 2.8 million taken away from REAL needy people, Hospitals, Schools etc. It shouldn’t be given out to half arsed attention seekers!

This makes me sick!

This reminds me about the burglar who sued his intended victim because his flat roof wasn't safe and he fell through it hurting his back. If my memory serves me right, the burglar won!

Originally posted by tango2
The fact that she tried to kill herself and failed is no fault of the NHS,she suffered brain damage as a direct result of her own actions.
Why should the NHS have to shell out if a person causes their own brain damage?.

She should have been made to pay the NHS for wasting their time,the NHS treated her for her own inflictions,what do they get in return?,bled to the tune of 2.8 million.

Total madness,whatever next?, yeh I know drink 15 pints of stella,start a punch up in town put someone in hospital and blame the pub landlord,the answer to all our prayers just blame someone else for your own fowl ups.
If they'd have saved her could she have sued because it wasn't what she wanted?

I don't agreed with the payout this woman has received, but I don't think this woman is to blame especially if she is brain damaged in such a way as to not know that a case has been made for her. You are all missing the point that this woman was ill when she took an overdose. I would bet that there are some women on here who have suffered post natal depression, some worse than others, it is a terrible illness that most women can't admit to having because it comes at a time when they should be feeling elated at having given birth to a new baby. This woman was probably not trying to kill herself but making a plee for help (which is the case for most people trying to and failing to commit suicide). Please don't judge this woman because of the financial gain she has made from it.

Originally posted by WTAW
I don't agreed with the payout this woman has received, but I don't think this woman is to blame especially if she is brain damaged in such a way as to not know that a case has been made for her. You are all missing the point that this woman was ill when she took an overdose. I would bet that there are some women on here who have suffered post natal depression, some worse than others, it is a terrible illness that most women can't admit to having because it comes at a time when they should be feeling elated at having given birth to a new baby. This woman was probably not trying to kill herself but making a plee for help (which is the case for most people trying to and failing to commit suicide). Please don't judge this woman because of the financial gain she has made from it.

Ill or not ill, it is still disgusting to take so much money from the NHS for something which was essentially self inflicted.

It won't have been taken from the NHS funds thought it will have been paid by an insurance company.

Originally posted by WTAW
It won't have been taken from the NHS funds thought it will have been paid by an insurance company.

So that makes it alright then?

Originally posted by WTAW
It won't have been taken from the NHS funds thought it will have been paid by an insurance company.

Government Agencies are NOT insured. The government underwrites them with OUR money!

Originally posted by WTAW
I don't agreed with the payout this woman has received, but I don't think this woman is to blame especially if she is brain damaged in such a way as to not know that a case has been made for her. You are all missing the point that this woman was ill when she took an overdose. I would bet that there are some women on here who have suffered post natal depression, some worse than others, it is a terrible illness that most women can't admit to having because it comes at a time when they should be feeling elated at having given birth to a new baby. This woman was probably not trying to kill herself but making a plee for help (which is the case for most people trying to and failing to commit suicide). Please don't judge this woman because of the financial gain she has made from it.

i agree with WTAW, i think it was wrong for the woman to get so much money, but she was ill and the nhs failed her there, so much that she nearly killed herself.. i think it was wrong to pay someone so much money, so much money we pay out in taxes, i mean all that money, paid out to her means other people where the money could have been better spent will suffer from this.