Anaesthetic failing in surgery.

A hospital has admitted liability after a patient was not properly anaesthetised during her operation.

The patient, who wants to remain anonymous, says she had "recurring nightmares" after feeling her skin being cut during the surgery at Yeovil Hospital in 2018.

Her solicitor has that said the surgeon had expressed surprise the woman had been given a spinal anaesthetic rather than general anaesthetic for the gynaecological surgery.

Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which had accepted liability, although a settlement was still to be reached, said: "We are sorry if this patient suffered any distress.

"It appears that a breakdown of communication led to the use of a different anaesthetic to that normally required for such an operation.

"However, this case is yet to be resolved with the claimant and we will therefore not discuss this further."

The woman underwent gynaecological surgery under spinal anaesthesia at Yeovil Hospital in July 2018 but "suffered awareness of painful surgical stimuli" during the procedure.

She said that when the surgeon: "made a cut in my belly button which I immediately felt", she had "screamed out but no one took any notice because I had an oxygen mask on.

"I have been suffering with nightmares which are horrendous. I have a re-occurring image of lying on the operating table, screaming with lots of people around me watching and no one helps me.

"I estimate that I wake up around to three times per week sweating and very fearful."