A woman has received a five-figure payout after a doctor failed to diagnose that she was suffering from Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a legal firm said.
Suzanne Badhams, 34, from Walsall, West Midlands, spent six days in intensive care at Sandwell Hospital in October 2006 after she developed a life-threatening pulmonary embolism.
Two weeks earlier she had complained to her doctor about leg pains and raised concerns about DVT but was sent home with painkillers and a support bandage, said a spokeswoman for Irwin Mitchell Solicitors.
The spokeswoman added: "The pain became worse and eight days later Ms Badhams returned to her surgery where she saw a different doctor and drew attention to a family history of DVT.
"Following this she underwent blood tests, but despite the results showing an abnormality which should have alerted the GP to the possibility of a DVT, they were not properly acted upon and a practice nurse told Sue that the blood results had come back as 'all clear'."
Ms Badhams, a former staff trainer with the NHS, said: "I know I'm lucky to be alive, but my life shouldn't have been threatened in the first place. My whole life has been changed by this horrific experience."
Dr Alakshendra Kushwaha, a GP at Broadway Medical Centre in Walsall, admitted liability for failures in Ms Badhams's care in relation to the blood test results and paid an undisclosed five-figure sum in compensation.
Walsall NHS Trust said Dr Kushwaha and the surgery had made changes to the way patients' blood tests are reviewed and reported since the incident.
A spokesman added: "Dr Kushwaha has also undertaken personal study into the diagnosis of Deep Vain Thrombosis in order to prevent such an incident happening again."
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Caroline Stokes, a medical negligence expert with Irwin Mitchell solicitors, said: "This was a fundamental error that could have ended in tragedy and clearly could have been avoided if the GP had acted appropriately."
