The family of an 18-year-old mother who died when a surgeon drilled into her brain are suing two NHS trusts for £500,000 in damages. Rachel Bradshaw died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after suffering a catastrophic liver failure, having taken an overdose days earlier when she split up with her boyfriend. Mother-of-one Miss Bradshaw had regretted her actions and attended Northampton General Hospital - but her family claim staff did not act in time. Mother: Rachel Bradshaw took an overdose  when she split up with her boyfriend and died in February 2009 . It led to her needing a liver transplant and being sent to Birmingham where the accident occurred. A surgeon decided to insert a pressure bolt into her skull, but allegedly drilled too far into the brain. Her parents, Brian, 47, and Terry Brock, 50, are suing on behalf of Miss Bradshaw’s now seven-year-old daughter, Kyla, for the loss of her mother in February 2009. The High Court heard Miss Bradshaw had taken an overdose and went to the Northampton hospital, where her blood was tested. Levels of the painkiller in her blood did not mean she needed immediate treatment and she was sent home. Continuing to feel ill, she returned to see a GP at the hospital, but was again sent home. In the hours afterwards, she became very ill, collapsed in front of her mother and was rushed back to hospital. Mrs Brock told the court she only realised how bad the situation was when they were told that Miss Bradshaw needed a transplant. ‘I was just shocked, it was horrifying,’ she told the court. Court case: Miss Bradshaw's parents, Brian, 47, and Terry Brock, 50, are suing on behalf of her now seven-year-old daughter, Kyla, for the loss of her mother. The parents are pictured with their solicitor, Caron Heyes . The parents followed Miss Bradshaw to Birmingham and stayed in overnight accommodation at the hospital, but received a call at night to say she had taken a turn for the worse. ‘We went over to see her and then they said they would take her down for a brain scan,’ Mrs Brock said. ‘Then the doctors and the nurses took us into a family room and told us there was nothing more then could do. They said they had to turn off the machine...and that was it. They never explained to us what had happened.’ Mr Brock was with Miss Bradshaw when the machine was turned off and his daughter died in front of him, only a short time after they had been told there was hope she could survive. Miss Bradshaw's parents are claiming for the psychiatric damage which seeing their daughter die did to them as parents. Northampton General Hospitals NHS Trust and University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust deny liability for injuries to the family. However, the Birmingham trust accepts the ‘negligent’ placement of the bolt killed Miss Bradshaw, who was from Northampton. The family’s barrister, John de Bono QC, told Judge Michael Yelton that Northampton medics were negligent in not testing Miss Bradshaw's blood the second time she went to hospital. Treatment: Mother-of-one Miss Bradshaw died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (pictured) in Birmingham . ‘It is rare for someone to return to an A&E department - this was an urgent situation which mandated prompt investigation,’ he said. If the seriousness of her illness had been known, medication would have begun and she would not have needed to go to Birmingham, where she met her death, he added. The court heard the Birmingham trust had denied breach of duty in relation to the insertion of the pressure bolt until only last month. Then, on November 14, it admitted that the bolt was inserted wrongly and that that caused the bleeding on the brain which killed Miss Bradshaw. Mr and Mrs Brock are suing both Northampton and Birmingham in their own right for the serious psychiatric injury they say they were caused by the way Miss Bradshaw died. The suddenness of Miss Bradshaw’s death, after being told there was a ‘ray of hope’, worsened the shock and was part of the cause of their ‘nervous shock’, their lawyers say. Contesting the claims, the Northampton trust says it owed no duty of care to Miss Bradshaw as A&E staff didn’t see her between her first time in hospital and when she returned after her collapse. Both trusts claim Miss Bradshaw’s parents would have suffered a psychiatric reaction however their daughter had died. The hearing continues.
Family of Rachel Bradshaw, 18, are suing two NHS trusts for £500,000 .
Mother-of-one died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham in 2009 .
Suffered catastrophic liver failure after taking overdose days earlier .
The family of an 18-year-old mother who died when a surgeon drilled into her brain are suing two NHS trusts for £500,000 in damages. Rachel Bradshaw died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after suffering a catastrophic liver failure, having taken an overdose days earlier when she split up with her boyfriend. Mother-of-one Miss Bradshaw had regretted her actions and attended Northampton General Hospital - but her family claim staff did not act in time. Mother: Rachel Bradshaw took an overdose  when she split up with her boyfriend and died in February 2009 . It led to her needing a liver transplant and being sent to Birmingham where the accident occurred. A surgeon decided to insert a pressure bolt into her skull, but allegedly drilled too far into the brain. Her parents, Brian, 47, and Terry Brock, 50, are suing on behalf of Miss Bradshaw’s now seven-year-old daughter, Kyla, for the loss of her mother in February 2009. The High Court heard Miss Bradshaw had taken an overdose and went to the Northampton hospital, where her blood was tested. Levels of the painkiller in her blood did not mean she needed immediate treatment and she was sent home. Continuing to feel ill, she returned to see a GP at the hospital, but was again sent home. In the hours afterwards, she became very ill, collapsed in front of her mother and was rushed back to hospital. Mrs Brock told the court she only realised how bad the situation was when they were told that Miss Bradshaw needed a transplant. ‘I was just shocked, it was horrifying,’ she told the court. Court case: Miss Bradshaw's parents, Brian, 47, and Terry Brock, 50, are suing on behalf of her now seven-year-old daughter, Kyla, for the loss of her mother. The parents are pictured with their solicitor, Caron Heyes . The parents followed Miss Bradshaw to Birmingham and stayed in overnight accommodation at the hospital, but received a call at night to say she had taken a turn for the worse. ‘We went over to see her and then they said they would take her down for a brain scan,’ Mrs Brock said. ‘Then the doctors and the nurses took us into a family room and told us there was nothing more then could do. They said they had to turn off the machine...and that was it. They never explained to us what had happened.’ Mr Brock was with Miss Bradshaw when the machine was turned off and his daughter died in front of him, only a short time after they had been told there was hope she could survive. Miss Bradshaw's parents are claiming for the psychiatric damage which seeing their daughter die did to them as parents. Northampton General Hospitals NHS Trust and University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust deny liability for injuries to the family. However, the Birmingham trust accepts the ‘negligent’ placement of the bolt killed Miss Bradshaw, who was from Northampton. The family’s barrister, John de Bono QC, told Judge Michael Yelton that Northampton medics were negligent in not testing Miss Bradshaw's blood the second time she went to hospital. Treatment: Mother-of-one Miss Bradshaw died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (pictured) in Birmingham . ‘It is rare for someone to return to an A&E department - this was an urgent situation which mandated prompt investigation,’ he said. If the seriousness of her illness had been known, medication would have begun and she would not have needed to go to Birmingham, where she met her death, he added. The court heard the Birmingham trust had denied breach of duty in relation to the insertion of the pressure bolt until only last month. Then, on November 14, it admitted that the bolt was inserted wrongly and that that caused the bleeding on the brain which killed Miss Bradshaw. Mr and Mrs Brock are suing both Northampton and Birmingham in their own right for the serious psychiatric injury they say they were caused by the way Miss Bradshaw died. The suddenness of Miss Bradshaw’s death, after being told there was a ‘ray of hope’, worsened the shock and was part of the cause of their ‘nervous shock’, their lawyers say. Contesting the claims, the Northampton trust says it owed no duty of care to Miss Bradshaw as A&E staff didn’t see her between her first time in hospital and when she returned after her collapse. Both trusts claim Miss Bradshaw’s parents would have suffered a psychiatric reaction however their daughter had died. The hearing continues.
a surgeon drilled into her brain are suing two NHS trusts for £500,000 in damages. Rachel Bradshaw died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after suffering a catastrophic liver failure, having taken an overdose days earlier