North Cheshire NHS Trust Admits Missed CT Scan in 32-Year-Old's Paralysis as A&E Claims Jump 41%
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 8
North Cheshire NHS Trust Admits Missed CT Scan in 32-Year-Old's Paralysis as A&E Claims Jump 41%
1 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 8
Summary
North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust accepted a breach of duty after Warrington Hospital failed to order a CT brain scan for Oli Coppock, 32, and agreed an interim damages payment.
A week after being sent home from A&E in May 2024 with headaches and dizziness, Coppock suffered a cardiac arrest caused by fluid build-up on his brain; the trust accepted a scan would probably have identified it and led to surgery.
More than two years passed before liability was accepted, and Coppock's solicitor said the delay denied him earlier access to money for therapies and support that might have improved his quality of life.
BBC analysis found 1,623 A&E-related clinical negligence claims in England in 2025-26, up from 1,151 in 2020-21, with claim values topping £550 million as emergency doctors linked the rise to long waits and staffing pressure.