A&E did not get the basics right – my son's life was ruined at 32

It was a decision that ultimately ruined his life at the age of 32, his family says.

A week later, with fluid building up on the brain, he suffered a cardiac arrest.

He did not recover and now lives in almost complete paralysis.Oli's case is just one of a growing number of clinical negligence claims being made in England relating to A&E care.

An analysis by the BBC shows there has been a 41% rise in cases over the past five years, with doctors linking it to the long delays and pressures being seen in emergency departments.Oli's father, Stephen, says he knows A&E staff are under pressure, but he cannot understand how a brain scan was not ordered, given his son's medical history.Despite the brain tumour and a recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis,….

He had a career in digital marketing, loved going to the gym and did some DJing in his spare time.Stephen says the whole family – including Oli's six siblings – has been left "angry and broken" by what happened to him.Stephen Coppock says the whole family has been left broken by what happened to Oli"The hospital didn't get the basics right and my son has paid a terrible price –….

It was an awful error.

He trusted the health service and believed it was there to help him, not destroy him."He says Oli's body is now twisted and paralysed and he has no ability to move around.

His breathing, feeding and toileting are all done through tubes at the neurological rehabilitation centre where he is being cared for.

He can only communicate through blinking, but Stephen believes he understands everything going on around him."There is no worse space for a human to occupy – it's a permanent living nightmare."Oli, who is being cared for in a neurological rehab unit, communicates by blinkingNorth Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Warrington's A&E, has now accepted a breach of duty in not ordering a CT brain scan, which on….

However, Oli's solicitor, Tanzeela Aslam, head of medical negligence at Express Solicitors, says the time taken to get to this point – more than two years – has just added to the failings, depriving him of access to funds for therapies and support that could have improved his quality of life."Oli's case illustrates how preventable errors within the NHS can have devastating and life-changing consequences for individuals and their families."She….

The value of those claims exceeded £550m last year.Not all claims will result in damages being paid – that happens in about half of all cases.

The NHS sometimes accepts liability but it is judged compensation is not needed.And there were points during the 2010s when the number of claims were higher per A&E attendance than they were now before falling.But the sustained increase over the past five years is causing concern, say experts.The pattern is not being repeated in other areas, such as maternity or orthopaedics, and the low point in 2020-21 is thought to….

But it is not surprising when you see how busy departments are.