Nurses Career Blighted by Allergy to Latex Gloves Receives 144,000

A nurse at Bolton Royal Hospital has received 144,000 in compensation after her allergy to latex gloves went untreated for years.

(PRWEB) February 27, 2005 -- A nurse at Bolton Royal Hospital has received 144,000 in compensation after her allergy to latex gloves went untreated for years.

In its worst stages, Bernadette Couchenes allergy saw her going to work with sore and bleeding hands.

Despite the allergy developing over nearly ten years and Mrs Chouchenes regular visits to Bolton Royal Hospitals occupational health service, at no time did her employers provide her
with alternative gloves.

Instead, Mrs Chouchene, was prescribed E45 and hydrocortisone creams by her GP and advised to wear cotton gloves under the latex ones by the hospital, a suggestion she found completely impractical to carry out her duties. At no time did her employers carry out a simple test for latex allergy or provide her with the use of alternative vinyl gloves.

As a result, it was alleged her employers had committed clear breaches of the statutory duties owed to their employees under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations of 1988 and Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992.

Mrs Chouchene started her career as a nurse in 1976 at Bolton Royal Infirmary and worked in various positions as a clinical nurse moving in 1996 to the Bolton Royal Hospital until March 2000. In the early 1980s the hospital advised all staff coming into contact with bodily fluids or blood that they should wear latex gloves.

Mrs Chouchene started experiencing irritation in 1992. She said: I just thought the problem was the cold weather and constantly having to wash my hands but unfortunately my hands did not heal and their condition became worse.

Between 1994 and 2000 her reaction got stronger and quicker. Mrs Chouchene said: It got to the point where I was finding it very difficult to do my job. Occasionally, it was so bad blood would run down my hands. By 2000, I could only tolerate wearing the gloves for 5 minutes before I had to rip them off run my hands under the tap to try and soothe them and get rid of any traces of latex."

It wasnt until February 2000 that Mrs Chouchene was diagnosed as suffering a latex allergy. She was immediately removed from work in theatres and transferred to non-clinical work.

Solicitor Sarah Brumpton from national law firm Irwin Mitchell, who represented Mrs Couchene, said: It seems incredible that despite the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988, the hospital made no attempt over the years to monitor this lady".

She tried to do the right thing by going to her occupational health department but she was never properly tested and provided with an alternative nor was her condition ever monitored.

These fundamental failings on the part of the hospital have had a very real effect on the quality of Mrs Chouchenes life, and continue to do so today as she can no longer work as a clinical nurse, an area that she loved.

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