Clinical Negligence misdiagnosis leading to unnecessary operations

A misdiagnosis claim usually refers to a doctor or healthcare professional negligently misdiagnosing a patient’s condition. As a result of this, the patient could have life-changing and/or unnecessary operations from the incorrect diagnosis.

This can lead to lifelong complications, and anyone affected by a misdiagnosis situation where unnecessary treatment has been carried out may be entitled to bring a claim for medical negligence compensation.
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What is a delay in a diagnosis claim?

As the head of our clinical negligence department says, one thing is for sure; a delay in a diagnosis is a difficult and tricky topic.

The delay in a diagnosis can apply to any existing medical condition that you may have, and the smallest of delays can even have fatal consequences. That’s why it’s important for medical professionals to avoid diagnosis delays, and that’s why we have to step in if something does go wrong.
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Cosmetic surgery compensation advice

Cosmetic surgery has been on the rise for a number of years now.

Cosmetic surgery aims to improve a person’s appearance, and includes surgery to “wind back the clock” such as Botox and breast implants. These are seen as elective surgeries as they are not actually needed in order to live, as such; but it’s understandable as to why many people would choose to go under the knife.
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Cancer delayed diagnosis compensation claim advice

Cancer is where abnormal cells within the body divide in an uncontrollable way. This can then cause the cancer to spread to other parts of the body, and can usually result in death.

There are over 200 different types of cancer. According to Cancer Research, 1 in 2 people born after 1960 in the UK will get some form of cancer in their lifetime. Anyone can be affected by cancer irrelevant of age or gender, but it is said to be more common as you get older. The most common types of cancer being; breast, prostate, lung, or bowel.

Diagnosing cancer correctly and at an early stage can be key to survival.
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Failure to diagnose stroke symptoms

A stroke is a life threatening condition where the blood supply is cut off to the brain. There are three main signs of a stroke; one side of the face may drop; you may be unable to lift your arms or keep them their because of weakness or them being numb; and speech may be slurred and the person unable to talk.

If any of these signs are spotted, it is important that you act as quickly as possible.

The sooner a stroke is identified and treated, the better chance a person has of surviving and suffering fewer problems afterwards.
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Cauda Equina Syndrome compensation claims advice

Cauda Equina Syndrome is a neurological condition that is usually classed as a surgical emergency. It is rare; but is a very serious condition that is caused by pressure on the nerves in the lumbar spine and / or a narrowing of the spinal canal.

Treatment is required very quickly to relieve or stop the pressure on the nerves. If treatment is not sought quickly enough, this can lead to the patient suffering paralysis, neurological problems, loss of bladder and bowel control, and (sometimes lifelong) physical impairment.
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Sepsis compensation claims advice

Sepsis – also known as blood poisoning – is a potentially life threatening condition that can be triggered by an infection where the body works overtime in order to fight it. By working overtime, the body can reduce the amount of blood flow that it sends to the vital organs, which can eventually cause them to shut down.

This can lead to multiple organ failure, or even death.

For those reasons, sepsis needs to be caught early to prevent it developing to the point where the body begins to shut down organs or ultimately kill someone. In cases where medical staff have failed to do this, patients may be able to claim compensation for medical negligence.
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Gynaecology compensation claims

As gynaecology is the care of the female reproductive organs, it’s understandably a very sensitive subject.

Its scope can include investigating fertility problems, different types of contraception, any medical disorders (such a polycystic ovaries), issues relating to the menopause, pregnancy problems (such as miscarriage,) and illnesses like ovarian cancer.

It’s therefore a very important thing for medical professionals to get right, as getting it wrong can lead to serious and often life changing problems.
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Meningitis compensation claims

Meningitis is a deadly disease where the protective membrane that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord becomes infected. It can come in two forms: viral and bacterial.

Viral meningitis can be less serious and generally gets better by itself, and can be treated at home. If it is bacterial, however, it can be very serious indeed.

If it’s not treated quickly it can lead to partial or full loss of hearing or vision, possible amputation of limbs that have been affected, epilepsy, and co-ordination and balance problems.
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Failed Vasectomy and Sterilisation compensation claims

Sterilisation is a procedure that is designed to stop a woman being able to get pregnant. This is typically done by cutting, blocking, or sealing fallopian tubes so that eggs cannot reach the uterus where they would be able to develop.

It’s said to be more than 99% effective in preventing women from getting pregnant, and can be a permanent method of contraception.

For males, a vasectomy is the male version of sterilisation, where a man undergoes an operation where the tubes that carry the sperm from the testicles to the penis are blocked, cut, or sealed. Vasectomy’s are more than 99% effective and can also be a permanent method of contraception.

So, what happens if things go wrong?
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Advice on anaesthesia awareness and claiming compensation

Anaesthesia awareness is a horrendous thing to even think about; let alone to have to go through…

When a patient goes under general anaesthesia they are given pain relief medication and / or medication to cause unconsciousness. If this fails to work correctly then the patient could wake up and become aware of what is going on during the surgery – which is commonly known as anaesthesia awareness.

There are also cases where the pain relief is not adequate as well, so the patient is not only awake during the surgery, but also feels the pain. Patients also require medication that will prevent movement when general anaesthesia is administered.
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Medical negligence compensation claims for prescription errors

GP’s and pharmacists can easily make mistakes when it comes to prescribing medication. As scary as that may sound, it’s true! We have represented people for prescription errors for years.

There can be a number of reasons why mistakes happen when prescribing medication. Although some people may have a minor prescription error and not have severe side effects, there are those who do suffer serious complications.

If a person has been prescribed the incorrect medication, and has suffered adverse side effects, then they may be entitled to compensation if it was due to medical negligence.
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