Claiming Against Your GP
If your GP has made a serious error that has caused you to suffer injury, you could be entitled to compensation for the pain you have wrongfully endured. To find out more about claiming against your GP, you need to contact a solicitor as soon as possible.
GP Medical Negligence
Although General Practitioners ordinarily provide an excellent and invaluable service to their patients, there are sadly times when the level of care drops below an acceptable standard. Commonly this will arise either because of a delay in diagnosis or because of a prescribing error. We will look at each in turn:-
1. Delay in diagnosis
If someone is suffering the initial symptoms of an illness, he or she will often attend their GP for advice. It is a GPs duty to use their skill and expertise to make a putative diagnosis. This diagnosis should then be verified using the appropriate tests and a suitable course of treatment devised.
However, if a GP fails to take these steps and a patient suffers because of a delay in diagnosis, there could be grounds for a negligence claim. Often this will happen because a GP:-
- Does not accurately assess a patient's symptoms;
- Does not refer a patient for further tests;
- Does not correctly analyse test results.
2. Prescribing errors
Whether a one-off course of medication or a repeat prescription, GPs must take care to ensure the correct drug and the correct dosage is prescribed. It is also vital GPs check that a prescription is not going to cause a patient any harm. If regular monitoring is needed, this should be performed before a repeat prescription is provided, or it might be doing a patient's health more harm than good. If there is a failure to do these things, there standard of care will have fallen below an acceptable standard. Often this will happen because a GP prescribes:-
- The wrong type of medication;
- The wrong dosage;
- A drug which the patient is known to be allergic to;
- A repeat prescription without assessing the affect it is having on a patient.
Of course, GP errors are not confined simply to the above examples. General Practitioners deal with a variety of health complaints every day and mistakes can arise for any number of reasons.
What action can you take?
If you have been adversely affected because your GP has made unnecessary mistakes, you have two options available. Firstly, you may wish to make a formal complaint to your GP surgery. Secondly, you may choose to contact a medical negligence solicitor to discuss the level of treatment you have received. If the care your GP provided is found to have dropped to a substandard level, you will be able to claim compensation for the pain and suffering you have needlessly endured.
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 from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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 from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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