NHS Medical Negligence Compensation
Patients who have suffered significant injury due to the failings of their medical professionals are entitled to compensation for the impact of that substandard care. The error, or breach of duty, may be accidental but, if the patient has suffered as a result, a successful claim should assist them in dealing with their physical problems, their financial losses and, where necessary, their care needs.
Medical negligence can take many forms from the early stages of consulting a medical practitioner through to specialist health care.
Delays in diagnosis
A delay in diagnosis can have a significant impact on the patient's long-term outcome. In some cases, such as cancer or necrotising fasciitis, a delay may prove fatal. In other scenarios, such as cauda equina syndrome, it can leave the patient with permanent double incontinence and loss of mobility.
- Failure to recognise symptoms
- Failure to carry out thorough examination
- Failure to refer for further investigation
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to warn of red flag symptoms
Incorrect prescription or administration of medication
Giving a patient the wrong medication can have life-changing effects. It may be the dosage which causes the damage or the patient's unsuitability for the drug, but the long-term effects can be devastating.
The incorrect prescription of the antibiotic Gentamicin can, for example, leave the patient with severe and debilitating balance problems and kidney problems.
Delays or failures in examinations and treatment
A failure to undertake the necessary examinations when a patient presents with symptoms can lead to a poor long-term outlook.
A failure to examine a new mother may mean that she suffers a lifetime of incontinence due to an undiagnosed third degree tear.
A delay in treatment can mean that a patient's symptoms deteriorate to the point where surgery may be of less help in bringing about recovery such as with cauda equina surgery where the timing of surgery is absolutely crucial to the patient's well-being and a few hours can make a significant difference.
Antibiotic failures
A failure to administer prophylactic antibiotics to an 'at-risk' patient prior to surgery may leave them with a surgical site infection, the effects of which can be dramatic and life-changing.
Surgery failures
Mistakes during a surgical procedure can also cause severe problems for the patient.
A perforation of the bowel during an endoscopy or bowel surgery can lead to peritonitis and sepsis, threatening the life of the patient.
An oversight can mean that a surgical utensil is left inside the patient at the end of surgery, an event which should never occur. This can cause on-going problems, requiring the patient to undergo further surgery to try to resolve the situation.
Quality of Care
The general quality of care in hospital can also occasionally cause long-term problems for the patient.
Where a susceptible patient develops a pressure sore because they have not received the level of care they need, their long-term health can be compromised.
Claiming compensation
A successful compensation claim requires both that a breach of duty has occurred AND that the patient has suffered damage due to this.
A breach of duty means that the relevant medical practitioner has failed in their care of the patient in some way.
The on-going problems of the patient must be attributable to the medical professional's negligence.
If the patient would have suffered problems regardless of the medical professional's actions, or lack of, a compensation claim is unlikely to be successful.
If the patient delayed seeking help and their long-term problems are due to this delay, their medical professionals will not be considered to have acted poorly.
Speak to a specialist solicitor
Glynns Solicitors is a specialist medical negligence legal practice. We have supported clients in making highly-successful compensation claims for a wide variety of issues over many years and take pride in our client care.
If you or a loved one are suffering significant problems due to a failing in medical care, contact us to talk to one of our medical negligence lawyers.
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