My son's heart attack was completely avoidable, says father of Spurs youth player left brain damaged

 
Brain damage: Radwan Hamed collapsed on the pitch aged 17 and suffered oxygen starvation
Rashid Razaq17 February 2015

The father of a young Tottenham Hotspur player left brain damaged after he suffered a heart attack during a game today said his life had been “irreversibly” damaged after he won multi-million pound damages because of negligence by the club’s doctors.

Radwan Hamed was just 17 when he experienced a cardiac arrest while playing for Spurs’ youth team against Belgian side Cercle Brugge in August 2006.

The youngster, who had been associated with the club since he was 11 and had only signed professional forms three days earlier, was deprived of oxygen for 16 minutes until an ambulance arrived.

The High Court heard how Hamed, now 26, suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an abnormal thickening of muscle around the heart.

Scans 11 months earlier had shown Mr Hamed’s heart to be abnormal but neither the striker nor his parents were made aware of the condition to allow them to make a decision whether he should continue playing.

Mr Justice Hickinbottom found the doctors in the case had failed in their duty of care. The judge ruled the club was 70 per cent liable through Dr Charlotte Cowie and Dr Mark Curtin, two specialist sports physicians it employed, and Dr Peter Mills, a cardiologist who screened the footballer, was 30 per cent liable.

The footballer’s father, Raymond Hamed, told the Standard: “Our son’s life has been irreversibly changed since the incident which was completely avoidable. We were not made aware by any of the doctors who were employed or instructed by Spurs at the time that there was anything to worry about. We were given reassurance that Rad could continue playing and of course we allowed him to continue playing based on this advice which we trusted to be correct.

“The judge’s decision has provided Rad and our family with accountability and we would ask that our son’s right to privacy is respected as he continues to live his life as best as he can following his significant injury.”

The family’s lawyer, Diane Rostron, medical negligence partner at Linder Myers Solicitors, said: “Both the doctors employed and instructed by Spurs to ensure the safety and health of young players failed in their duty of care with devastating results.

“Radwan and his parents were not even given the privilege of knowing that his test results had been returned showing abnormal results. Had they been afforded the right to this crucial information, Rad would not have continued playing.

“Instead, specialist doctors told his parents that there was nothing to worry about and he sadly collapsed having suffered a cardiac arrest just 11 months later.

“Left significantly brain damaged, Radwan will never be able to play football, live independently or work again.

“Today’s judgement serves as a clear message to all sporting organisations of the paramount importance of correctly screening young athletes for potentially fatal heart conditions. “

The exact figure to be paid is yet to be determined but it is estimated at between £5m and £7m. However Tottenham will not have to pay out as it was agreed during the hearing that former employees Dr Cowie and Dr Curtin’s insurers would cover any damages.

A Tottenham spokesman said: “The club wholeheartedly regrets that a former employee, as adjudged, was remiss in their duties to Radwan. This judgment will hopefully now secure the best possible treatment and care for him. The club has been supportive of Radwan and his family over the past 10 years and we wish them well for the future.”

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