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Family may take legal action in alleged medical negligence case

Published 05/08/2008

A family may be set to take legal action following the death of a man last year, it has been revealed.

According to reports in the Epping Forest Guardian, Terence Harris was admitted to purpose-designed surgical procedure facility the North East London Treatment Centre in May 2007 to have his gall bladder removed.

Although the operation initially appeared to have been a success, the 68-year-old subsequently died after developing an infection caused by faecal matter leaking out of his small intestine.

During a recent inquest at Walthamstow coroner's court, Dr Fiona Wilcox ruled that the surgeon involved, Gideon Lauffer, must have accidentally cut a hole in Mr Harris's bowel during the procedure and failed to see it two days later while conducting a further operation to look for a leak.

Mr Lauffer maintains he was not at fault and other surgeons at the hospital say the injury was more likely to have occurred after the procedure.

However, a legal representative for the Harris family revealed that it may pursue legal action.

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