GP Negligence – know your rights!

When we are feeling ill or have a medical concern, our first point of call is normally our GP in order to ease our worries and remedy any illness we have with medication or referrals. As our GP is a person who we trust to help us, we generally expect them to always get it right.

However, doctors are only human; which means that, sometimes, GP’s get it wrong, which is commonly known as medical negligence.

We expect a certain standard of care from our GP’s, but if they fail to meet this standard, it can have serious life altering consequences for patients.

Common GP medical negligence claims

When GP’s are negligent, it can be for a number of reasons. The most common ones are:

• Misdiagnosis
• Failing to prescribe the right amount of medication, or just the wrong medication entirely
• Failing to refer a patient for further treatment in time (or at all)

These can all have detrimental effects on a patient and can lead to prolonged suffering; medical treatment that could have been avoided; and further complications and costs to the patient.

This could include a delayed diagnosis of cancer in the early stages that is then picked up later on when it has developed into much more serious stages. A patient could have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation therapy as well as undergo operations that they would not have needed had there not been a delayed diagnosis. Treatment and prolonged pain and suffering are the common problems with a delayed or incorrect diagnosis.

In some incidents a GP’s misdiagnosis or failing to refer a patient could ultimately lead to the death of a patient – something that could have been avoided.

Can I claim?

If you have suffered due to a GP’s negligence, you may be able to claim compensation for medical negligence.

A GP’s negligence can affect someone psychologically, physically, and financially, which are all aspects that a victim can claim for.

We can help

If you or a family member has been a victim of a GP’s negligent behaviour, we can help. We specialise in medical negligence claims, so if you think you have been a victim of medical negligence, we urge you to contact us so we can help you.