Can I Sue the NHS for a Ruptured Bowel?
If you have suffered severe consequences of a ruptured or perforated bowel due to the failings of medical professionals, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation for your pain, suffering and associated financial losses.
Medical Negligence and a Ruptured Bowel
A ruptured bowel can be life-threatening and, even where the patient survives, the long-term impact on their physical and mental health can be dramatic. However, it is not necessarily a product of medical negligence.
Occasionally, however, it may be the result of medical negligence and a claim for compensation may be a helpful way forward. It may help the patient to cope with their debilitating long-term symptoms.
The two scenarios where medical professionals may be at fault would be where either a surgical or medical procedure was carried out in a negligent manner, causing the bowel to rupture, or where a failure to diagnose and treat an abdominal condition is delayed, allowing the bowel to rupture before treatment can be initiated.
Surgical negligence
A wide variety of surgical procedures take place in close proximity to the bowel or even within the bowel itself. The need for caution within the abdominal space is absolutely paramount in order to avoid such a shocking outcome as a ruptured or perforated bowel and a failure to prevent a perforation or tear in the lining of the bowel may be regarded as negligent.
Surgical procedures which occur outside the bowel but which risk damage to the digestive tract include operations such as a hysterectomy and a caesarean section, whereas procedures internal to the bowel which can go terribly wrong include a colonoscopy or an endoscopy where a tube is inserted into the gastrointestinal tract in order to examine its condition.
Diagnosis failure or treatment delays
The bowel can also rupture of its own accord and this may occur without there being any medical negligence involved.
An inflamed appendix or crohn's disease, diverticulitis or ulcerative colitis, for example, can all cause the bowel to perforate due to the scarring or inflammation associated with the condition.
If the patient delays attending their medical practitioner until the condition is advanced, or they suffer an acute and sudden attack, causing the perforation, there may have been nothing their medical professional could have done to have prevented their long-term problems.
However, where the patient has attended their medical practitioner with symptoms which have not received the appropriate investigation and diagnosis, allowing the patient to deteriorate and to suffer a ruptured bowel, the relevant medical professional may be regarded as having provided only substandard care.
It may be appropriate in these circumstances to make a claim for compensation for the patient's subsequent pain and suffering.
Long-term symptoms of a perforated bowel
The symptoms and long-term impact of a perforated bowel can be highly unpleasant and distressing as well as limiting what the patient may be able to do physically in the long-term.
- A perforated bowel can cause peritonitis and sepsis, requiring a high level of intensive care input and threatening the life of the patient
- The patient may need a colostomy to carry out their bowel functions on a temporary or permanent basis
- The patient can suffer multiple organ failure
- The patient is likely to require additional surgical procedures to try to resolve their bowel perforation as well as the on-going problems it has caused, being thereby exposed to the demands and risks of surgery again
The psychological as well as the physical impact of such events can severely restrict the patient's ability to work and function in the long-term.
A successful compensation claim can provide recompense for these effects. Where the patient finds that their ability to work has been limited by their physical health and they may be struggling to cope financially, a compensation claim can help to recover those financial losses, both past and future.
Getting legal advice
If you or a loved one are struggling with the shocking long-term impact of a ruptured bowel due to medical negligence, contact Glynns today to talk to a specialist solicitor.
We will be happy to discuss your situation with you, free of charge, and advise you as to the suitability of making a claim for compensation.
Can We Help You With A Medical Negligence Enquiry?
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.
Make An Enquiry
Why Choose Us
- Specialist medical negligence solicitors
- Free initial enquiries
- No win, no fee available
Reviews
"I would like to say a big thank you to you for making this whole process easy and relatively painless. You kept me informed throughout and you were always polite and courteous in all forms of communication. I would not hesitate to recommend you to friends and family, so a really big thank you and I wish you all the best in the future."
Mr A.
Our Expertise
Helping Clients Across England & Wales
Free Medical Negligence Guide
'7 Questions You Must Ask Before Choosing A Medical Negligence Solicitor'