Claiming for A&E Negligence
For many seeking urgent medical attention, A&E will be their first stop. However, A&E departments are becoming increasingly strained and this has led to mistakes being made.
Mistakes in A&E
Recent news reports have revealed that A&E departments across the country are suffering due to a lack of funding and staffing shortages. Consequently A&E waiting time targets have been missed, while at some hospitals temporary waiting areas have been set up in the car park, such is the demand.
All this is having a negative impact upon the standard of patient care, as doctors and nurses do not have the time or resources to provide an acceptable level of medical treatment. This is causing mistakes to be made, causing patients to suffer harm.
Because the care provided in A&E is so diverse, the exact nature of these errors is varied. Some of the most common include a:-
- Failure to carry out investigative tests
- Failure to make an accurate diagnosis
- Failure to act upon test results
- Failure to provide the appropriate treatment
- Failure to refer for further specialist care
- Providing medication that is harmful to a patient
- Wrongful discharge
Have you suffered harm in A&E?
Accident and Emergency departments are pressurised environments, but that does not mean that medical professionals are excused when they make preventable mistakes. Indeed, all medical practitioners have a duty to provide a reasonable standard of care to patients. If this falls below an acceptable level, causing a patient to sustain an injury, there will be a case of medical negligence.
If you or your loved one has suffered due to substandard medical care in A&E, you should speak to a solicitor who specialises in medical negligence. After a short discussion, a legal expert will be able to say whether or not you have been the innocent victim of A&E negligence, and whether you are able to make a claim. Often this will apply to people who have suffered because of:-
- A missed fracture
- An emergency condition that was diagnosed as a more minor condition – for example, appendicitis or meningitis
- A referral was not made to a specialist unit within the hospital – for example, a patient with suspected cauda equina syndrome should be referred immediately to an orthopaedic surgeon
- Test results were not acted upon and a patient is discharged without having the necessary treatment
Compensation for medical negligence
If you are in a position to pursue legal action, your solicitor will help you through the claims process, working to obtain the compensation you deserve. This is intended to reflect the pain and suffering you have endured, and the financial loss you have incurred.
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