Treatment Errors in the NHS and When to Claim Compensation
If an error in treatment from a medical professional has caused you or a loved one to suffer a worse outcome than should have been the case, it may be possible to claim compensation for the impact.
What is a 'treatment error'?
This term can cover a very wide range of scenarios and is useful to consider that sometimes an act of negligence in medical care is not about poor-quality surgery or a delay in carrying out a scan, but is about a decision or choice which has an detrimental impact on the patient.
Examples could include the following:
- It might be that a medical professional decides that it is appropriate to carry out a procedure on a patient, which turns out not only to have been unnecessary but which has a negative impact on the patient, causing long-term damage
- It may be that the correct course of treatment is carried out but an error is made in the course of that treatment such as using an inappropriate prosthesis
- The treatment in itself may be inappropriate to the diagnosis, in terms of medication for example, or that the dosage is incorrect
- It may be that the treatment strategy is correct, such as the need for a transplant, but the choice of the transplant is inappropriate to the specific patient, causing long-term damage
When to make a claim
It might be appropriate to make a claim for compensation when it appears that an error in treatment has occurred and that it has had an adverse impact on the patient's outcome, affecting their health and quality of life.
A successful claim addresses the financial impact of the negligence as well as recognising the patient's pain and suffering.
Some treatment errors may make only the slightest impact on the patient but others may be life-changing.
How to make a claim
Speak to a specialist medical negligence solicitor who will be able to obtain copies of your medical records and investigate the quality of your medical care.
They will use the best medical experts to identify if an error in your treatment has occurred and to identify the extent of its impact, if any, on you and your health.
Where appropriate, they will then identify the impact on your quality of life and your financial losses in order to pursue a claim.
Free legal advice
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with a wealth of expertise and experience in complex claims.
Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about what has occurred to you and the possibility of making a claim.
We can offer No Win No Fee medical negligence funding which we will discuss with you during your free initial telephone discussion.
Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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