A nurse whose career was cut short after she developed an allergy to latex has been awarded a six-figure sum in compensation.
Tanya Dodd, 25, was working as a trainee nurse at Scarborough General Hospital when she developed an allergy to the latex gloves she routinely wore. As a result, if she comes into contact with latex she could go into anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. This has meant that she has been unable to continue her training as a nurse.
The risk posed by her allergy means that Miss Dodd has to make sure her environment doesn’t contain any latex. She has had to replace many items, such as her mobile phone, hairbrush and pens, with latex-free products. She has also had to change her diet as fruits such as grapes and melons contain proteins that are similar to latex and could trigger her allergy.
Miss Dodd said that her employers had failed to warn her of the potential risk of developing a latex allergy. Indeed, the hospital did not allow the use of latex-free gloves without special permission and she had been threatened with disciplinary action if she were found to be using them.
The potential for developing an allergy to latex is well-known and this is not the first time that a hospital has been forced to pay a substantial sum in damages for failing to protect the health and safety of an employee at risk from latex allergy. The solution to the problem is simple: the provision of latex-free gloves.
Miss Dodd was awarded an undisclosed six-figure sum reported to be in excess of £300,000.
