We are fortunate to have access to an excellent health service that supports us from birth through to the end of our lives. Most of the time, the care provided to our families is impeccable, but things can go wrong and, with an NHS that is under increasing pressure and a private healthcare sector that isn’t held to the same stringent standards as the NHS, mistakes do happen.
If the worst happens, and a member of your family is affected by medical negligence, it’s important to understand the support available to you. Learn more about medical negligence and what you can do if you are impacted in this guide.
What is medical negligence?
Medical negligence, sometimes referred to as clinical negligence, is when a healthcare provider, whether NHS or private, provides substandard care that causes direct physical or mental harm to a patient.
To pursue a medical negligence claim, a patient must be able to prove that the care they received, or a lack of care, led to them developing further complications.
Below are just some examples of medical negligence.
Common types of medical negligence
Pregnancy and birth injuries
Childbirth tears
Minor tears during childbirth are common and often heal quite quickly, but some tears can be more serious, and recovery can take longer.
Severe childbirth tears that were caused by the negligence of a medical professional, as well as tears that are misdiagnosed or are not treated appropriately can be classed as medical negligence.
Birth injuries and cerebral palsy
Most pregnancies and births are without difficulty, but if problems arise, the potential consequences can be devastating.
Birth injuries can occur before, during or after birth. They may be down to poor care during birth or if medical professionals fail to diagnose conditions such as maternal or gestational diabetes or preeclampsia during pregnancy.
Cerebral palsy is a risk that can happen as a result of complications before, during or soon after delivery. These complications can include a bleed on the brain, a lack of or limited oxygen supply to the brain, the mother catching an infection while pregnant or failure of a medical professional to diagnose conditions like hypoglycaemia in the mother during pregnancy.
Families who experience any of the above may be eligible to claim compensation for the pain, suffering and financial consequences of the negligence by accessing specialist support.
Mesh surgery
Women, men, and even children, have been given surgical mesh implants to treat the side effects associated with rectal and uterine prolapses.
The safety of this treatment has, however, been brought into question in recent years, with increasing numbers of patients reporting problems following mesh surgery.
Common complications include:
- Chronic pain;
- Bleeding;
- Haematoma;
- Difficulty or inability to walk;
- Vaginal erosion or scarring;
- Bowel and nerve trauma;
- Incontinence;
- Bladder perforation;
- Bladder infection;
- Mesh erosion or protrusion.
Anyone experiencing the above following mesh surgery should speak to their GP immediately. If the GP confirms the symptoms are due to the mesh surgery, then the sufferer may have a case for medical negligence.
Missed or misdiagnoses
A misdiagnosis can happen when:
- A medical professional diagnoses a patient’s symptoms as relating to another illness;
- When an illness goes completely undiagnosed;
- When the diagnosis is late;
- When a less serious illness is diagnosed as a more serious one.
As an example, there are roughly 1,000 new cancer cases in the UK every day according to Cancer Research UK. While diagnosis and treatment has improved greatly in recent years, mistakes do, unfortunately, happen.
Where the missed or misdiagnoses is of cancer, the stress and the consequences can be devastating. A claim can be made for loss suffered as a result.
Operation errors
The majority of operations performed have a successful outcome, but mistakes are not uncommon.
Examples of surgical errors include when:
- Unnecessary surgery was performed on the patient;
- An operation was carried out on the wrong body part;
- There was a failure to provide an appropriate level of care to the patient;
- There was an infection as a result of poor hygiene;
- Further injury was caused to the patient or an existing condition was exacerbated;
- Surgical equipment was left inside the patient.
Getting the right support
If you, or a member of your family, have been affected by medical negligence, it’s important you get expert support as soon as possible.
Thompsons Solicitors has decades of experience in supporting families who have been affected by medical negligence and recover millions of pounds every year for their clients.
Contact them on 0800 0 224 224 today for expert, free, no obligation advice on your case or to start a medical negligence claim.
Author Bio: Thompsons Solicitors has decades of experience in handling medical negligence claims and, where appropriate, they campaign to hold negligent healthcare providers to account.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored guest article.
