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Widower settles case over wife's insect bite death

Family handout A picture taken outside what appears to be a church at Mark and Mandy Weaver's wedding. He is wearing a suit and she a wedding dress and she is also holding a bouquet of flowers.Family handout
Mark and Mandy Weaver married in 2010, having been together since 1990

The husband of a woman who died more than a year after an insect bite became infected has settled a case with clinicians who he said missed opportunities to escalate her treatment.

Mandy Weaver, from Winnersh, died aged 48 in October 2018, having suffered with increasingly severe wounds after being bitten on the leg in summer 2017.

Her husband Mark, now 54, said she had repeatedly attended the Westfield Road Surgery in Winnersh as her condition deteriorated.

The surgery was approached to comment.

A law firm that helped Mark bring a clinical negligence claim against some of the surgery's clinicians said the case had been settled, but without any admission of liability or an apology.

Within weeks of being bitten, Mandy's wound had started to leak and ooze.

Her husband said she had attended the surgery and a nurse diagnosed an infection, dressed her leg and prescribed antibiotics.

Over the coming months, she attended the surgery repeatedly for treatment, but the wound never properly healed, despite periods of improvement, and soon both legs were infected.

Mark said he became increasingly concerned and by January 2018 her legs were leaking so heavily that fluid would pool on the floor when she stood up.

Just days before she was due to attend an appointment with a tissue viability nurse in October 2018, she was found collapsed at home.

A coroner concluded she had died after deep vein thrombosis caused a pulmonary embolism.

Family handout A picture of Mark and Mandy in what appears to be a restaurant. He is wearing a grey jacket and she a blue jumper. They are talking and Mandy is looking fondly at Mark.Family handout
Mark brought a claim against some clinicians at the surgery that Mandy had repeatedly attended

"After spending every day with her for over 30 years, I just never expected to be without her," Mark said.

"The entire family just wanted justice for Mandy. We wanted the surgery to admit they made mistakes. I'm disappointed we never got that."

Solicitors who worked on Mark's behalf said Mandy had likely developed DVT because of her chronic infection and immobility, and had she been treated earlier her death might have been avoided.

"The case has now settled, but Mark has never lost sight of what happened," said Sue Prior, from Fletchers Solicitors.

"While the settlement cannot bring Mandy back, I hope telling her story will help people understand the person behind the legal case – a much-loved wife whose loss continues to be felt by everyone who knew her."