Safety-Netting Negligence and Compensation Claims
A failure of medical safety-netting can prove catastrophic to a patient and may justify a claim for compensation.
What is medical safety-netting?
Safety-netting is the term used to describe the actions taken by a medical professional to ensure that a patient who is at risk of developing a particular condition is monitored or knows what to do in the event of deterioration.
These strategies might involve a range of measures such as the following:
- A patient might be advised of the symptoms to look out for which should prompt them to make another appointment with their GP or to go to their nearest Accident and Emergency facility
- A patient might be advised to make a further appointment with their medical professional to ensure that any symptoms are monitored
- It may be instructions about their own care necessary to prevent a deterioration of their condition
The intention of safety-netting is to minimise the risk that a patient will develop a serious condition which could have been avoided with more efficient and comprehensive measures to diagnose and treat their condition at an earlier stage.
It is important that the patient has understood the safety-netting advice and that the relevant medical professional has ensured that that is the case. Without understanding, the safety-netting strategy will be useless.
When might it be appropriate to make a claim?
A failure of safety-netting can prove catastrophic.
For example, if a patient with the early possible symptoms of cauda equina syndrome is not advised of the red flag symptoms, they may delay attending Accident and Emergency only to find that they now face a lifetime of disability. Earlier attendance may have given them the opportunity of early spinal decompression and recovery of lower body function.
The symptoms which the patient was experiencing at the time of their GP attendance were not sufficient to justify a referral for an MRI scan but a delay in getting to hospital if their symptoms deteriorate may be crucial. In this situation, clear and accurate safety-netting advice could be fundamental to the patient's long-term outcome.
Making a claim for compensation
If a patient suffers a poor long-term outcome because effective safety-netting procedures were not used by a medical professional, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Contact Glynns Solicitors if you or a loved one have been let down by safety-netting procedures and now face medical difficulties and financial losses as a result.
Early legal assistance can be vital so please contact us if you would like to discuss your situation. Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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