The specialist clinical negligence solicitors at Curtis Law Solicitors recently acted for Mr B who recovered compensation of £25,000 after undergoing an avoidable orchidectomy due to negligence by his GP.

Mr B woke with a swollen and painful right testicle. An urgent appointment was made with his GP who took a history and examined him. They noted the swollen testicle, normal pulse and blood pressure, that our client had no urinary symptoms and that he was not sexually active. The GP diagnosed epididymo-orchitis and prescribed antibiotics and analgesia. Two days later our client suffered significantly worsened swelling and pain in the testicle. He was taken to his local Urgent Care Centre and from there he was urgently referred for review by the urology specialists at his local hospital. The urology consultant diagnosed testicular torsion and arranged urgent surgical exploration. It was found that the blood supply to the testicle had been compromised for too long and it had to be removed. Mr B subsequently required further surgery to insert a prosthesis which caused further pain and suffering and additional scarring. All of these events caused him stress and anxiety about the treatment and the potential adverse effects on his sexual function, fertility and future relationships.

The specialist clinical negligence solicitors at Curtis Law obtained Mr B’s medical records and secured extensive independent expert evidence before submitting the claim to the GP and their insurers.

The expert evidence confirmed that the causes of scrotal swelling can include testicular torsion, torsion of a testicular or epididymal appendage, epididymo-orchitis or testicular cancer. Testicular torsion presents with a unilateral painful scrotal swelling of rapid onset, whereas epididymo-orchitis presents with more gradual onset. There is a very low threshold for suspecting testicular torsion in a male presenting with an acute, painful scrotal swelling particularly if he is younger than 30 years of age. This is because testicular ischaemia can occur within a matter of hours causing the testis to become non-viable so any patient in whom testicular torsion is strongly considered should undergo immediate exploratory surgery in order to save the testis. It was argued that no responsible GP would have approved of the diagnosis of epididymo-orchitis because it is more likely in men who are sexually active, who have lower urinary tract symptoms or urethral discharge, or who have symptoms of infection i.e. raised temperature. None of these were present in this case. Reliance was also placed on NICE Guidance which clearly states that history and physical examination alone cannot rule out testicular torsion. It was established that, but for the GP’s negligence, our client would have undergone surgical exploration early enough to save the testis.

We secured admissions of both breach of duty of care and causation of avoidable harm, which enabled settlement negotiations to take place. Mr B recovered £25,000 in compensation for the negligent care that he received.

If you wish to discuss a potential clinical negligence claim with our specialist solicitors you can email us, use our online enquiry form, or call us for free on 0800 008 7450.