Family sue over refused operation

Leeds General Infirmary has still to be officially informed that it is being sued

The parents of a three-year-old girl who was refused a life saving operation are planning to sue the hospital that "wrote her life off".

Doctors at Leeds General Infirmary ruled last year that Hannah Harkness was too weak to withstand heart surgery and said she had just months to live.

However, her parents refused to give up and sought a second opinion from specialists at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital.

Hannah underwent an operation in May 1999 to repair two holes and plug and open duct in her heart. She has since fully recovered.

But her parents, from Selby in Yorkshire, have now said they will sue Leeds General Infirmary.

Colin Harkness, Hannah's father, said: "We just felt they wrote her life off.

"We believe they were negligent and incompetent and we feel that had we not gone for a second opinion Hannah would now be dead.

"We want parents who may be in our situation to be aware that they should not just give up. We were made to suffer terribly and we just want the hospital to know how much hurt they caused."

We just felt they wrote her life off

Colin Harkness

Diagnosed

Hannah's heart condition was diagnosed when she was just seven days old.

Doctors discovered she had been born with a rare chromosome disorder, a deficient immune system and congenital heart disease. Her development and speech were also slow as a result.

Tests showed she had two holes and an open duct in her heart which required surgery.

Karen Harkness, Hannah's mother, said: "We were devastated when we were told an operation was out of the question and we did wonder whether the decision was made because she was physically and mentally disabled.

"Hannah is a completely different child now and is a joy to be with. The change since the operation went ahead has been wonderful."

A spokesman for the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said it was aware the family was planning action.

"In January 1999, the functioning of Hannah's heart was very poor and a joint clinical decision was taken by a consultant cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon not to operate because it was felt the risks associated with the surgery were too high.

"We haven't been informed officially but we are aware the family is planning legal action."