A mechanic who lost the use of his right hand while attempting to fix a roller brake tester is suing the NHS after doctors sent him home without treatment.
Jamie Keefe went to A&E after his right hand was mangled in the roller brake tester.
He said: “I was on my hands and knees and had my right hand on the metal outer casing when it kicked in and started working.
“My hand slipped on the metal into the machine.
“I could see the brake tester was going around on my hand.
“We managed to get my hand out.
“Adrenaline kicked in and I realised what had happened.
“After a minute or two minutes my hand went numb and I lost feeling in my fingers.”
“My hand went numb and I lost feeling in my fingers”
Doctors at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham partially cleaned the wound and sent him home with antibiotics.
A few days later the skin on his hand started turning black and he took himself to A&E for a second time – this time to the city’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where doctors found he needed surgery.
Surgeons carried out two operations to cut away the dead skin and grafted tissue from his thigh to save his hand.
Jamie said: “When doctors told me the extent of what needed to be done, I couldn’t believe it.
“I was angry that it took nearly a week to get the treatment that I needed.
“Nothing will change what I’ve been through, but I just hope that the NHS can learn lessons so that no one else faces the problems that I have.”
Jamie sought to sue University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust over his treatment, who have since admitted liability, according to his lawyers.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Trust always strives to deliver the safest and most appropriate care to all of our patients and takes learning from cases such as this seriously.
“We are sorry that Mr Keefe did not receive the care he should have done on this occasion.”
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