We are very fortunate to have access to an outstanding health service in the UK, with medical staff who work tirelessly to care for us when we are ill or injured. However, regrettably, things can and do go wrong (a term referred to as medical negligence) and some instances are more common than others.
Below, we list the 5 most common forms of medical negligence and advise what you can do if you or your loved one finds yourself in this situation.
Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis is a term referring to a time when an illness is either completely missed or diagnosed at a late stage, meaning that it has progressed and may need further treatment or, worse, not be treatable at all.
When visiting our doctor with certain concerns, we naturally put ourselves in their hands and assume that they will correctly diagnose the problems we are experiencing, whatever they may be. Often, we don’t give the diagnosis a second thought; we take what the doctor says, and follow the recommended steps given to us. However, regrettably instances do occur where people who are suffering with certain illnesses are dismissed by their doctor and made to believe that their symptoms are a sign of something less serious, only for their illness to be picked up further down the line when it may be too late. Circumstances such as this one are referred to as cases of medical negligence and you may be entitled to make a claim for misdiagnosis compensation if you or your loved one has been a victim.
Dental negligence
Very few of us actually enjoy a trip to the dentist but we all have to go at some point. On the whole, the UK dental industry has an excellent reputation; we are very fortunate in that the majority of visits to the dentist are rarely as bad as we imagine them to be. However, unfortunately, dental negligence can and does happen and when it does, the implications can be very serious indeed.
Dental negligence can occur when a dental problem is misdiagnosed (diagnosed at a late stage or missed altogether), during tooth extraction (for example, in cases where the wrong tooth is extracted) or in a standard check-up (for example, where there are signs of gym disease). If you have suffered as a result of any of the above then you may be entitled to make a claim for dental negligence compensation.
Negligence during cosmetic procedure
At Clear Law we help people who have suffered as a result of both medical and cosmetic negligence, where a procedure has been carried out at a private clinic rather than through the NHS. We generally have high expectations of private cosmetic surgeries, particularly given the costs involved in cosmetic procedures and the way that clinics on the whole market themselves. We have helped clients who have paid thousands of pounds to cosmetic surgeons to correct birth defects, to remove excess skin after weight loss or to have reconstructive surgery after an accident or cancer. Regrettably, however mistakes can and do happen during cosmetic surgery of any kind and should you or your loved one find yourself on the receiving end of this, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
Surgical negligence
Surgical negligence refers to operations carried out for medical rather than cosmetic reasons. In much the same way as cosmetic procedures, negligence can happen when surgery is being carried out and should negligence occur at any stage of the operation, the implications can be very serious indeed.
When we are told that we must go in for medical surgery, many of us are naturally very anxious about the procedure we are going in for but every day thousands of successful operations are carried out at hospitals across the country with many of these proving to be totally life-changing. Regrettably, however, during surgery things can and do and wrong and if so the implications can be very serious indeed.
If you or your loved one has suffered as a result of surgical negligence then you might be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
Ambulance & hospital claims
Should you or your loved one fall ill, you will likely call 999 and rely heavily on ambulance services to transport you or your family member to hospital and in the hands of medical professionals as soon as possible. We have naturally come to expect these services in line with the continuously high standards delivered by the NHS, but, although rare, mistakes by ambulance staff and medical professionals sadly can and do happen.
Once you arrive at your hospital’s Accident and Emergency department you should, in line with national standards, be seen to within four hours and referred on to the suitable course of action from there. Should you be left waiting longer than this time and see your condition worsen as a result, then you could be entitled to make a claim for medical negligence compensation.
If you have been a victim of the above or indeed any other form of medical negligence, of which there are many, then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. The compensation amount you could be issued with will address your individual case and could help to fund additional treatment costs and loss of earnings, amongst other things. To discuss your individual situation, contact our experienced medical negligence team today on 0800 999 1875 or by visiting our dedicated website www.medicalnegligence-solicitors.com