Healthcare Never Events and When to Claim Compensation
A 'never event' in healthcare is essentially an instance of negligence. Whether an injection in the wrong location, incorrect medication administered to the patient or a piece of surgical kit left inside the patient at the end of an operation, these are all things which should never happen.
When is it appropriate to make a claim for compensation?
A patient is legally entitled to make a claim for compensation if an act of medical negligence causes them to have a worse outcome than would have been the case with an appropriate level of care.
Whether this applies to a never event depends upon the nature of the occurrence and its impact on the patient. Administration of an injection to an incorrect site may make little impact on the patient's outcome, depending on the circumstances, whereas using an incorrect implant or leaving a piece of surgical equipment inside a patient may have a long-term debilitating impact. In the latter situation, the patient may require additional surgery and may suffer a reduced quality of life as a result of the mistake.
When to start a claim
Compensation claims for medical negligence are associated with a three-year deadline. However, this does not mean that this is the point by which you should contact a specialist solicitor. Before a claim can be issued with a court, the quality of the patient's medical care needs to be investigated in order to clarify whether or not an act of negligence has, in fact, occurred and the extent and nature of its impact needs to be assessed.
In order to facilitate this process, it is advisable that the individual affected by the never event should contact a solicitor at the earliest moment.
Choosing your solicitor
Compensation claims for medical negligence can be extremely complex. Even in the case of a never event, where the negligence may be clear, it is still necessary to assess the impact on the patient and their quality of life. This can be wide-ranging, requiring the input of a range of medical experts and an analysis of the patient's past and future financial losses.
An experienced, specialist solicitor is crucial to this process. They will have the necessary procedural expertise as well as access to the best medical experts.
Free legal advice
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with a team of experienced lawyers and a history of success in complex, high-value claims.
Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim.
We can offer No Win No Fee medical negligence funding which we will discuss with you during your free initial telephone discussion.
Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
Make An Enquiry
Why Choose Us
- Specialist medical negligence solicitors
- Free initial enquiries
- No win, no fee available
Reviews
"I would like to say a big thank you to you for making this whole process easy and relatively painless. You kept me informed throughout and you were always polite and courteous in all forms of communication. I would not hesitate to recommend you to friends and family, so a really big thank you and I wish you all the best in the future."
Mr A.
Our Expertise
Helping Clients Across England & Wales
Free Medical Negligence Guide
'7 Questions You Must Ask Before Choosing A Medical Negligence Solicitor'