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

In May 2024, Oli Coppock, 32, visited the emergency department at Warrington Hospital suffering from severe headaches and dizziness, several months after undergoing treatment for a brain tumour. Despite undergoing various tests and assessments during his visit, he was not given a brain scan and was sent home. Tragically, this decision had devastating consequences. A week later, Oli experienced a cardiac arrest caused by fluid accumulating in his brain. He did not regain consciousness and now lives with almost complete paralysis, according to his family.

Oli’s father, Stephen, acknowledges the immense pressures faced by A&E staff but struggles to comprehend why, given Oli’s previous medical history—including a brain tumour and a recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis—a CT brain scan was not performed. Oli had generally been in good health, optimistic about his future, and enjoyed an active lifestyle, including his career in digital marketing, going to the gym, and DJing as a hobby. Stephen describes the impact on the entire family, including Oli’s six siblings, as leaving them “angry and broken.”

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the A&E department at Warrington, has admitted breaching its duty of care by failing to order the crucial CT brain scan. The trust stated that had the scan been conducted, it would likely have revealed the dangerous fluid buildup, enabling timely surgical intervention. They expressed deep regret over the substandard care Oli received and recognized the profound distress caused to him and his family. While an interim damages payment has been agreed upon, Oli’s solicitor, Tanzeela Aslam, noted that the lengthy wait of over two years to reach this stage has further harmed his situation by delaying access to therapies and support that might have improved his quality of life. She commented, “Oli’s case illustrates how preventable errors within the NHS can have devastating and life-changing consequences for individuals and their families,” and pointed to an increasing number of similar claims linked to mounting pressures in emergency departments.

A BBC analysis of NHS Resolution data reveals a 41% rise in clinical negligence claims related to A&E in England over the past five years, totaling over 1,623 claims in 2025-26 compared to 1,151 in 2020-21. The value of these claims exceeded £550 million last year, making A&E the area with the highest number of clinical negligence claims. While not all claims result in compensation—only about half do—the increase is causing alarm among experts. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine highlighted concerns about prolonged delays and staffing pressures, noting that one in ten patients spent more than 12 hours in A&E before treatment or discharge in recent years. Dr. Adrian Boyle described the figures as “sobering,” adding, “This is a concern. But it is not surprising when you see how busy departments are. People are staying longer and pressure on staffing is increasing.” Despite this, clinical negligence cases remain relatively rare, occurring in approximately one in every 17,000 attendances.

NHS Resolution is addressing the large volume of claims by publishing reports aimed at learning from mistakes, which often include missing signs of patient deterioration, failing to request necessary tests and scans, or making incorrect diagnoses. NHS England cautions that claim numbers may not accurately reflect current safety levels due to the time lag between incidents and claims being filed, noting some improvements in A&E waiting times. Meanwhile, Matthew Hopkins from NHS Alliance emphasized that hospital leaders are committed to delivering safe, high-quality care and learning from shortcomings when they occur. For Stephen Coppock, however, the pain is ongoing. “Every waking hour” is consumed with worry for his son, and he remains steadfast in his belief that despite the pressures, the basics were not done correctly. “They failed Oli,” he said

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