A settlement has been reached between lawyers acting for Lorraine Wolstenholme, a 51-year old
disabled woman from Milton Keynes, and her local Milton Keynes NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) to provide carers to lift her in and out of bed.
The settlement is based upon the acceptance by the PCT and Mrs Wolstenholme’s local social services, that they will take responsibility for all her care needs, including lifting her in and out of her wheelchair.
Care Package
A care package is being put together, which her lawyers from Leigh Day & Co, Richard Stein and
Jamie Beagent, will be keeping a close watch over.
Mrs Wolstenholme who has
multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair requires the assistance of carers to get in and out of bed, bath and on and off the toilet. Milton Keynes PCT were refusing to sanction carers to lift her saying that it was unreasonable to expose their staff to risk of injury.
Mrs Wolstenholme weighs eight and a half stone and has involuntary spasms. She has been unable to get in and out of bed since the PCT stopped providing carers to help her. Rather than be bed-bound she chose to sleep in her wheelchair instead.
Richard Stein, partner at Leigh Day & Co solicitors, who represents Mrs Wolstenholme said:
“We’re obviously pleased to have won for Lorraine the point of principle that her local health and social services must be responsible for all her care needs, including lifting her in and out of her wheelchair. Its just a shame that it took us so long to reach this point and that Lorraine has had to spend so much of her time restricted to her wheelchair.”
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