Have you been affected by medical negligence?
Medical negligence, which is also commonly known as medical malpractice or clinical negligence, is a form of professional negligence that results in unnecessary personal injury or other damages to the person that is affected.
Most of us will associate the term ‘medical negligence’ with doctors or a hospital setting, but medical negligence is an umbrella term used to describe misdiagnosis or malpractice from a number of related professions. These include dentistry, nursing, and professionals working in other sectors of health care such as therapists.
In general, medical professionals are regarded for providing an excellent service and thorough care for their patients. They are respected for their knowledge and intense training they had to endure to ensure the health and wellbeing of the general public.
In certain cases, a medical professional may fail in their delivery of this excellent care and service. When this happens it can be described as medical negligence. Financial compensation is available for those who have been found to be treated at a level below the minimum standard that is expected from medical professionals. For advice on a medical negligence claim you should contact a solicitor.
Is claiming for Medical Negligence common?
As professional and competent as medical professionals are, sometimes errors in care and delivery of service do occur. Although recent statistics show that medical negligence is about as prevalent as it always has been, the number of people pursuing medical negligence claims has been on the increase. For example between 2010 -2011 there was a 30% recorded rise in medical negligence claims against the NHS.
This increase can be due, in part, to people being better informed on whether their particular case constitutes as medical negligence. Solicitors often offer a ‘No win - No fee’ basis for personal injury claims due to medical negligence. This means that people can get the help of a qualified specialist when pursuing medical negligence claims, without having to worry about unaffordable legal fees. This has encouraged many people to pursue a personal injury claim resulting from medical negligence where they may previously have been put off.
Common setting for Medical Negligence
There can be a multitude of ways in which medical negligence can occur, and a variety of medical settings that this negligence can occur. However, a considerable amount of medical negligence claims for personal injury arise from negligence occurring in A & E departments in hospital. Many A & E departments are extremely busy places. Often the staff in the hospital are rushed due to the high volume of patients that this department has to cater for. Circumstances such as failing to refer a patient to a specialist or improperly discharging a patient from the A & E department can constitute as a form of medical negligence.
A common place where medical negligence is often not suspected by a patient is in the environment of a local GP surgery. Many people trust their local doctor and rarely question whether their doctor has treated them with a standard that is below that of what is expected. However, clinical negligence can occur in a GP surgery.
For example it could be that a doctor has failed to properly diagnose a serious illness early enough, or may have failed to diagnose altogether. Other examples of medical negligence could be failing to refer a patient for ‘appropriate investigation’ such as that of an X-ray for a fractured bone.
Should I claim for Medical Negligence?
It is not always an easy thought to pursue a medical negligence claim, especially if the medical professional is someone you know, for example your regular GP. However, as with any profession, mistakes can and unfortunately do get made.
Medical negligence claims are usually relatively long and complicated procedures. If you have suffered personal injury due to medical negligence then it is your right to pursue a claim.
The process of making a medical negligence claim involves many factors and your medical professional may have acted accordingly and logically with the information they had. It is therefore advised that you seek the advice of a specialist in the area medical negligence to take you through the claims process.
You can, for free, use our Find a Solicitor service that will put you in contact with a personal injury solicitor specialising in medical negligence claims. This can save you some time and effort in seeking out a competent solicitor.