We are fortunate in the United Kingdom to have a healthcare system that is free at the point of use. The NHS employs thousands of caring individuals who are there to treat illnesses and ailments of all sorts. It also has a huge range of equipment designed to enhance and in many cases save lives. However these people sometimes make mistakes, and this equipment sometimes malfunctions, and in these cases patients can be left hurt, severely injured or even dead as a result of these issues. If you, or someone you are close to has suffered as a result of these issues, you could be entitled to claim for medical negligence compensation.
Examples of Medical Negligence
There are all sorts of things that can go wrong with your health, and all sorts of issues that can arise during the treatment of any condition. Below are some common examples of cases that have been shown to involve clinical negligence:
- Administering of the wrong drug or treatment
- Failing to diagnose a condition or diagnosing the wrong condition
- Failing to get patient consent before treatment
- Failing to warn about risks of particular treatments
- Making a mistake during a procedure
- Failing to ensure equipment is fully functional
According to the Citizens Advice Bureau, if you have been injured as a result of medical treatment it could be referred to as a ‘medical accident’ or a ‘patient safety incident’; these terms do not necessarily mean that the treatment was negligent. You will only be able to claim for compensation if it can be proved that:
- Your treatment was carried out negligently, that is, the care you received fell below medically acceptable standards and
- This directly caused your injury.
What to do if you have suffered from Medical Negligence
If you, or someone you know has suffered as a result of medical negligence, there are various options open to you. The NHS itself has procedure for complaints that you should look into, and there are many public bodies that can advise you of the next steps to take. You should start your claim within 3 years of the incident happening, or of when you first noticed that something was wrong.
What to do next
Our solicitors have many years of experience in dealing with cases of medical and clinical negligence. If you think you or someone you care for has suffered then you should contact us today to see if you could be entitled to claim. It won’t cost you anything for us to talk you through the process and find out if you are eligible how much compensation you could be entitled to.