HOSPITAL bosses have apologised and agreed to pay damages to the family of a Ramsbottom teenager who died after doctors failed to spot 18 fractures across his body.

Nicholas Hitchen, 19, died after medics at the former Bury General Hospital failed to diagnose fractures in his ribs, sternum and clavicle when he was admitted after a car crash in 2001.

His mother, Christine, speaking in the week Nicholas would have turned 23, said: "We watched our son die because nobody at the hospital had thought to check whether he had broken anything.

"We now know that in fact he had suffered 18 fractures."

Nicholas, of Ramsbottom, had been driving along Crostons Road, Bury, when he lost control of his car and crash into railings.

He was taken to Bury General Hospital in a stable and conscious condition, but complaining of severe chest pains.

Three X-rays were taken, but his parents claim, despite waiting for more than three hours, he was not seen by a specialist thoracic surgeon because the hospital did not have one available.

His condition deteriorated rapidly, by which time doctors considered it too late to transfer him for specialist treatment to Manchester Royal Infirmary. He died during the night with his family at his bedside.

A post mortem examination revealed that he had 16 rib fractures, a fractured sternum and a fractured clavicle, all of which doctors had failed to detect.

The coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure.

A preliminary independent opinion by Professor Neoptolemos, who works as Head of the Department of Surgery at Royal Liverpool University Hospital concluded "the extent and severity of the injuries was such that they should have been quickly identified by the receiving A&E and surgical staff".

His mother continued: "We relive this nightmare every day.

"Nick needed an urgent operation to give him at least a chance of life, but it couldn't be done as they did not have a doctor or facilities available to carry out the operation. If only he had been transferred to a suitable hospital, our son might still be here today."

A spokesman for Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: "The events surrounding the treatment provided to the late Nicholas Hitchen have been investigated by the coroner.

"An independent panel review under the NHS complaints procedure and by independent clinical assessors and their findings have been made available to the family.

"The review panel considered that it was unlikely that surgery at any stage would have made any difference to the outcome for Nicholas. The trust accepts there were shortcomings with the standard of care.

"The chief executive of the trust sent a letter of apology the family following settlement of the claim.

"The medical director wishes to reaffirm that apology to the family and reassure them that lessons have been learnt and new procedures for the management of major trauma have been implemented."