THE case of a Newport woman suing for Bristol Royal Infirmary for compensation over negligent treatment more than 20 years ago has been adjourned.
Lawyers for Marianna Telles, 22, say she was negligently treated at the hospital by two doctors - James Wisheart and Janardhan Dhasmana - both of whom were later criticised and disciplined after an inquiry into the "Bristol heart baby scandal", when she was a baby.
They say the events in the few weeks after her birth have blighted her life forever and, if she wins her case against the South West Strategic Health Authority, her compensation will almost certainly run into millions of pounds.
However, throughout the High Court trial, the Health Authority has denied that either surgeon was negligent and disputed its liability to pay Marianna a penny.
Marianna was born with a "complex heart defect" at the Royal Hospital, in Gwent, in May 1985 and was transferred to the Bristol Royal Infirmary which was viewed as a centre of excellence for the treatment of heart conditions in young children.
There, senior registrar, Mr Janardhan Dhasmana, carried out a complex operation to insert a "shunt" which was meant to improve the oxygen flow through her body.
However, Marianna's counsel, Simeon Maskrey QC, argued the operation performed on May 8 1985 had been "technically incompetent".
The QC also alleged there was a negligent failure to properly monitor Marianna's condition in the days after the operation.
He also said a further procedure, carried out by Mr Wisheart 10 months later, may also have caused "further neurological insult".
However, Philip Havers QC, for the health authority claimed Marianna was "a very sick child" even before her arrival at the Bristol and brain injury was unavoidable, was caused in a short period after her birth and had nothing to do with her treatment at the Royal Infirmary.
Judge Mr Justice Saunders reserved his decision in the case and will give his ruling at a later date
Hospital negligence case adjourned
'Man drove at PCSO to avoid parking ticket' - court hears
A NEWPORT man drove into a PCSO to avoid being given a parking ticket, a jury heard.
Terrence Raymond, 39, is accused of dangerous driving following an incident in Commercial Street, Newport on 30 October 2006.
It is alleged that Raymond, of Telford Street, came out of Cash Generators to find PCSO Sharron Norman writing a fixed penalty notice for a BMW car which was illegally parked on zig-zag lines outside the shop.
The jury at Newport Crown Court then heard how Raymond protested before getting into the car and driving off, clipping her left knee as she continued to write the ticket, causing bruising and swelling.
Raymond denies ever having driven the car, but admits being in Cash Generators on the morning of the incident.
NEWPORT POLITICIANS UNITE TO SLAM RAIL LINK DELAY
Newport politicians including Paul Flynn MP and Rosemary Butler AM have united to condemn the failure of the Welsh Assembly and Network Rail to provide a through rail service between Ebbw Vale and Newport. Instead passengers for Newport must alight for a bus link to Newport station. At the protest at Rogerstone station Ms Butler said rail passengers on this journey faced using the shuttle buses "for years". She said: "I'm very disappointed that there are still no firm dates for completion of the route to the centre of Newport. "We hoped that the line from the Gwent valleys towns would open much sooner, so that students at the new university campus and people who come into Newport to work would have been able to use it.It's very important that as well as passengers from further up the valley, residents from Rogerstone, Rhiwderin and Bassaleg are also able to get to Newport on the train.It seems we now have to wait until the end of the decade at the very least."
The Welsh Assembly Government said: "The stretch of line between Ebbw Vale and Newport can only take empty, non-passenger stock trains due to Network Rail's signalling rules and regulations. Regular passenger services can only take place after this stretch of the line has more complex signalling. The earliest opportunity to re-signal would be 2009, when Network Rail completes the re-signalling of the main line at Newport."
