Negligence in Medical Diagnosis and When to Claim Compensation
Negligence during the course of diagnosis of a serious medical condition can prove utterly catastrophic to the patient's long-term outcome and may justify a claim for compensation.
Diagnosis medical negligence
Errors during the course of diagnosis can occur in a wide variety of ways including the following:
- A medical professional may fail to carry out what would normally be regarded as an appropriate examination and assessment of the patient, thereby missing key signs or symptoms which may be indicative of a specific condition
- The practitioner may fail to recognise the implications of the patient's symptoms and provide a misdiagnosis. This may give the patient false reassurance, it may trigger an inappropriate course of treatment or no treatment at all and it may delay what should be an urgent or emergency referral
- The professional may fail to understand the urgency of a patient's condition and fail to make an appropriately timed referral
- There may be a delay in carrying out necessary tests such as an MRI scan
- The professional may fail to provide red flag symptom advice to a patient who is in danger of developing a serious condition, thereby delaying their attendance at an emergency hospital facility
Claiming compensation for long-term consequences
The long-term impact of a delay in diagnosis will vary according to the nature of the patient's condition and the extent of the delay in their care. Occasionally, the consequences can be life-changing, rendering an individual reliant on care, in need of long-term health support, unable to work and unable to care for their family.
Where the diagnosis of cancer, of necrotising fasciitis or sepsis, among many others, are concerned, the result of a delay in diagnosis may mean the death of the patient.
When to make a claim
It may be possible to make a claim for compensation if it is found that a patient's long-term outcome has been adversely affected by an act of negligence on the part of a medical professional.
The consequences of the negligence, such as a loss of income or the costs of care, would be incorporated into a successful claim.
However, it is important to bear in mind that these claims are associated with a deadline of three-years after the date of the alleged negligence and that a thorough investigation into the patient's quality of medical care needs to be undertaken before that deadline.
Speak to a legal specialist
If you think that you may be entitled to make a claim, it is essential to ask for expert advice.
Glynns is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice. Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim.
Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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