Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot, usually in the leg, that forms when a patient is immobile — classically after a fracture, lower-limb surgery or any long operation. If part of the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs it becomes a pulmonary embolism (PE), which can be fatal. Both are well-understood, largely preventable risks of hospital care.
Under national guidance (NICE guideline NG89), hospitals should assess every adult inpatient's clot risk on admission and, where indicated, give preventative anticoagulant medication (such as heparin injections) and compression stockings. Negligence claims commonly involve a failure to carry out the risk assessment, a failure to prescribe or continue anticoagulation after surgery or a fracture, or a failure to restart it correctly. The second common group is diagnostic: DVT and PE are often missed completely despite classic symptoms — a swollen, painful calf, breathlessness, chest pain — and despite the availability of simple tests such as D-dimer blood tests, ultrasound scans and CT pulmonary angiograms.
An untreated DVT can cause post-thrombotic syndrome — a permanently swollen, painful leg with ulceration — while a missed PE can cause collapse, long-term breathing problems or sudden death. A claim must show that a reasonably competent clinician would have prevented, investigated or treated the clot, and that doing so would probably have avoided the harm.
Compensation typically ranges from £25,000 for resolved clots with avoidable suffering, to £100,000–£750,000 where there is permanent leg damage or lasting cardiorespiratory injury. Fatal PE cases are brought by the family under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. The limitation period is generally 3 years from the harm or date of knowledge.