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Reason of formation of SIN-NL and the IEU-Alliance. My name is Sophie Hankes. I am a victim of a severe medical error in 2000, which made me very limited in daily life. Six weeks after surgery I passed out when I lay down, stood up or tried to walk. With much effort I managed to get myself medication, which makes it possible to sit up for a restricted number of hours a day. Standing is hardly possible and walking is restricted up to thirty meters. I am wheelchair dependent, but I cannot operate it myself. I am also dependent on wearing a neckcollar. I suffer daily from headaches throughout the day at the site of the surgery. After the medical error in 2000 and to this day I haven’t had diagnostics and no honest information about the reason why I became disabled. Sofar I did not receive honest adequate remedial medical care and my condition is getting worse. Unfortunately, I am familiar with others who are in similar circumstances caused by the structural refusal of honest information and adequate remedial medical care. I understand that in every medical interference there is a chance that something goes wrong or not in the way it should go. Making mistakes is never completely preventable. What hurts me, is that no-one had ever told me in person that a medical error has occurred. To err is human, but people should take their responsibility for their errors. After the medical error I’ve been in hospital for six months where I got no diagnostics and no treatment. I experienced this as a serious neglect of the responsibility of the involved physicians and also of other physicians because they knew about the case, but remained silent. Every next time I tried to arrange care for myself I was either sent away in a very rude way or was misinformed. Each time I felt very sad and powerless. It is really necessary to improve my medical condition, but I am dependent on physicians. Many victims of medical errors are in the above described situation. The NPSA/NHS (2006) concluded that 10% of medical treatments in hospitals results in a medical error: 1% results in a very serious medical error, causing 1 in 1000 patients to die or become disabled. When I read the experiences of other victims, this makes me even more sad and angry. I know what they their situation is. I also know that the majority of medical treatments has good results and want to make it clear it is not my intention to blame the medical profession. Medical care is very important. Because of my own experience with medical errors and the experiences of others I am deeply concerned about the way the medical profession deals with medical errors and its victims. It is horrible to become disabled and not receive adequate diagnostics, nor honest information, nor adequate remedial medical care, just like many others. I do not need excuses nor expressions of guilt. The only thing I ask is a proper diagnosis of my present medical condition and adequate remedial medical care, or at least alleviation of my suffering. Not only for myself but also for all other victims. To err is human but one should be honest about the consequences. I strongly plead for openness and honesty, not only in my case, but in all present and future cases, in order to achieve improvement of the situation of medical errors and its victims, on short term. This is the reason for the foundation of SIN-NL and the IEU-Alliance. Sophie Hankes |
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