The Medical Negligence Blog
Start Your Claim
NHS screening problems: advice for patients
When it comes to NHS screening problems for things like cancer, it’s important that patients get the right help when it’s needed.
But when things go wrong, patients can suffer. When problems are avoidable, that’s where we can help people.
Delayed diagnosis or delayed treatment that stems from problems with screening can allow a patient to make a medical negligence claim for compensation. Depending on what has happened, we may be able to offer No Win, No Fee representation.
Private ambulances putting patients at risk?
There has been a reported rise in the number of private ambulances in use, which is feared to be leaving patients at a greater risk of medical negligence.
It’s understood that chronic shortages are leading to many Trusts using private ambulances for 999 calls more and more. The spend on private vehicles is said to be increasing, with millions being spent in order to cover gaps in the service.
The worry is whether these private ambulances are up to the job, especially since recent studies suggests that they may not be.
Short appointment times a cause for concern
The limits that mean most patients must undergo short appointment times of less than 10 minutes are understood to be putting patients at risk and worrying doctors.
As lawyers who specialise in medical negligence, the risks are obvious to us, and they’re obvious to doctors as well. It can be easy for things to be missed when GPs are under pressure to wrap up their time with patients too early, meaning they don’t have the proper chance to ensure for a correct diagnosis and course of treatment.
If you, as a patient, end up suffering as a result of short appointment times, what can you do about it?
NHS cancer scans delayed over pensions problems
It’s reported that there are delays with NHS cancer scans being read that has stemmed from an ongoing pensions tax row that has led to some NHS staff limiting the amount of overtime they do.
In some cases, cancer scans are being left for weeks before being dealt with, which can leave patients vulnerable to cancer spreading and the development of compilations. One example reportedly saw turnaround times jump from one week to one month, and some patients have turned up to appointments for readings to be given when scans haven’t been dealt with at all, leading to wasted appointments.
At the centre of this ongoing dispute is the patients who are vulnerable to suffering more when turnaround times are impacted. For a matter as serious and as left threatening as cancer, something needs to be done.
Loss of eyesight compensation through medical negligence
A loss of eyesight compensation claim is often a high value case that’s dealt with by our specialist catastrophic injury team here at the Medical Negligence Lawyers.
Compensation pay-outs can be significant, and they will usually need to cover not only the suffering and inconvenience of losing your eyesight, but also for losses and expenses. If you can no longer work due to the loss of vision, the lost earnings claim can be substantial.
Here’s a little advice about when you may be eligible to make a claim for medical negligence compensation for losing your vision, and what to do.
Stroke misdiagnosis compensation
We can help you with expert representation if you need to make a claim for stroke misdiagnosis compensation, which is always a serious matter.
A stroke is a ticking timebomb, and the longer it’s left without treatment, the worse the complications can be for the patients. Many stroke victims will be forced to live with lifelong problems, and medical professionals must act fast to spot the signs and administer treatment.
Sometimes, things don’t always go to plan. If you were given an inaccurate diagnosis and / or were diagnosed too late, we may be able to help you.
Doctors missed cancer signs and symptoms
It can be absolutely devastating for patients in cases where the doctors missed cancer signs and symptoms, and the impact can be severe and permanent.
It comes as no comfort when we’re told that we don’t have anything serious to worry about, only to discover later on down the line that there has been an error. As medical negligence specialists, compensation claims for a missed or incorrect diagnosis is a common type of case, and when it involves cancer, it’s a matter that needs to be taken seriously.
If this has happened to you or someone you know, here’s a little advice about what to do.
Doctors missed sepsis: compensation advice
In cases where doctors missed sepsis signs and symptoms, the consequences can be absolutely devastating, and life-threatening.
Legal advice about your options for claiming medical negligence compensation is therefore incredibly important. Especially when you consider the lifelong impact that may be involved due to complications of things like blood poisoning being missed in the first place.
Here’s some advice about your options for justice and making a legal case with us on a No Win, No Fee basis.
NHS cancer screening programmes “unfit for purpose”
NHS cancer screening programmes have been deemed as “unfit for purpose” by MPs in a report that has been looking into the effectiveness of screening in the UK.
This news come just a year after the huge IT glitch that led to hundreds of thousands of women not receiving vital breast cancer screening because their letters were never sent to them. We’re involved in legal action from that particular scandal, but the recent news of more widespread failures is incredibly concerning.
Medical negligence compensation claims that arise from a failure to diagnose and failure to treat can be common. If the NHS cancer screening programmes are not fit for purpose, we could see more cases of negligence that may shorten lives and cause permanent problems for patients.
What to do when you receive cancer treatment too late
Receiving vital, life-saving cancer treatment too late really can mean the difference between life and death, and it can be devastating when patients aren’t provided with care quickly enough.
That’s why we’re incredibly alarmed to hear the recent news that the NHS is seeing some of the worst figures on record when it comes to treatment times for cancer. Recent figures indicate that a quarter of patients aren’t receiving treatment in accordance with the targets set by the NHS. A lot of this may well be down to the increased pressure of more people coming forward for checks, and a lack of funding for cancer care across the board isn’t helping as well.
As a patient who has cancer treatment too late, what can you do, and what are your rights?
Rising NHS delay compensation claims
We may see rising numbers of NHS delay compensation claims. Delayed treatment and delayed diagnosis are two of the most common types of medical negligence claims we represent people for, and a surge in these types of cases is a worry for all.
The fears of rising cases stems from recent findings published by the National Audit Office. They cited the issue that around 40% of medical negligence claims are for delayed diagnosis or treatment. Worryingly, they have also suggested that waiting time targets are still getting missed, and the problem is getting worse.
They said that the waiting list grew from 2.7 million to 4.2 million between 2013 and 2018 which shows the extent of the problem. This isn’t sustainable, and patient safety can be compromised when action isn’t taken quickly enough.