Bolitho v City and Hackney Health Authority

(1993) 4 Med LR 381

COURT OF APPEAL

Lord Justice DILLON, Lord Justice FARQUHARSON, and Lord Justice SIMON

Professional liability — Paediatric registrar — Causation — Failure to attend child with respiratory difficulties — Child suffering cardiac arrest and resulting brain damage — Registrar admittedly negligent in failing to attend — Whether registrar would have intubated if she had attended — Accepted medical practice — Whether judge bound to rely on evidence of experts available to him — Duty on plaintiffs to prove that doctor would probably have taken specific action, and that if she did not do so her failure was contrary to accepted medical practice