Health

Family Says Missed Brain Scan at Warrington A&E Left Son Paralysed, as NHS Data Shows Sharp Rise in Emergency Care Negligence Claims

By Nick Triggle

A father has described how his son's life was devastated after Warrington Hospital's emergency department failed to order a brain scan, a decision that led to catastrophic brain damage. Oli Coppock, now 32, visited the hospital in May 2024 with severe headaches and dizziness, several months after undergoing treatment for a brain tumour. He was examined and assessed but sent home without a CT scan. A week later, fluid had built up on his brain and he suffered a cardiac arrest. He never recovered and now lives with almost total paralysis.

His father, Stephen Coppock, said he struggles to understand how doctors did not order a brain scan given his son's medical history, which included a brain tumour and a recent multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Before the incident, Oli had been fit and active, working in digital marketing, going to the gym and DJing in his spare time.

Stephen said the family, including Oli's six siblings, has been left "angry and broken." "The hospital didn't get the basics right and my son has paid a terrible price - it's ruined his life," he said. "He trusted the health service and believed it was there to help him, not destroy him."

Oli now requires tube feeding, breathing support and toileting assistance at a neurological rehabilitation centre, and can only communicate by blinking. Stephen believes his son remains fully aware of his surroundings, calling the situation "a permanent living nightmare."

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which operates Warrington's A&E, has admitted a breach of duty for failing to order a CT brain scan, which likely would have detected the fluid buildup and allowed for corrective surgery. The trust apologised, stating it recognised the