Tag: negligence
When undergoing medical training, doctors learn how to conduct rigorous treatments and procedures, and must abide by high professional standards for as long as they practice. There is no room for mistakes in medicine but, unfortunately, some patients do fall victim to needless errors made by healthcare professionals. If you have been adversely affected by a medical mistake, you may be able to claim compensation for any harm caused.
While other forms of negligence can be caused by misjudgments, such as an incorrect diagnosis or a failure to investigate symptoms, medical mistakes could describe the basic errors that can be made in the course of procedures or treatment. Often, these mistakes occur through entirely preventable missteps, which can only make them more upsetting and frustrating for the victims.
When medical professionals breach their duty of care and your health suffers as a result, you can be within your rights to claim compensation for any harm caused. We know how difficult it can be for victims in the aftermath of medical negligence, which is why we use our sensitivity and expertise to guide our clients through the claim process.
Though some hospital admissions can arise from minor health problems, patients are often admitted to hospital when their health is in severe decline, or in cases where emergency care is required. As a result, it is highly important that doctors and nurses carefully track their patients’ recovery and rehabilitation to ensure that they are definitely ready to be sent home from hospital. As this falls within the realms of their professional duties, you could be eligible to claim compensation for being sent home from hospital at the wrong moment if your health was adversely affected.
If patients are unable to cope after being sent home from hospital, it can cause severe damage to their health, or it may even mean that they are unable to recover properly, or at all. Cases of negligent hospital discharge can be particularly serious if the patient lives alone, as they may be left vulnerable and isolated if no one is there to help them in an emergency.
Healthcare is all about risk management, and if doctors fail to do this correctly, they may be liable for medical negligence. By making a medical negligence claim, you could be eligible to recover compensation for any harm caused.
Read More “Being sent home from hospital – claim for negligence”
With the completion of false self-assessments affecting some maternity units, a number of hospitals are now having to pay back millions of pounds to regulators. Some of the hospitals in question were already facing suspicion amid medical negligence claims and allegations of avoidable baby deaths, but it has since been confirmed that some 14 NHS trusts reportedly failed regarding at least one of the safety actions recommended. Of the 7 required to pay fines, each trust reportedly falsely claimed it had a safe maternity unit.
While the news may come as a shock to some, for those affected by poor maternity care, this development may be unsurprising. Indeed, figures have already shown just how much harm has been suffered by families due to negligent maternity services. In 2018-19, for medical negligence claims brought against the NHS, 60% of claims reportedly involved maternity care.
If you have been adversely affected by poor maternity care, you may be able to make a medical negligence claim. To discuss your case and find out more about how we could help you, do not hesitate to contact us for free, no-obligation advice.
Read More “Safe maternity unit claims disproven in maternity care scandal”
When tackling medical conditions, a swift diagnosis is often key to ensuring successful treatment but there can, unfortunately, be bumps in the road that can slow the process down. Sometimes, a slow referral or a postponed appointment will not have an adverse impact on your health, but in cases where your condition worsens, you may be able to claim compensation for the harmful effects of any negligent diagnosis delay.
As medical negligence specialists, we have seen many patients let down by the people and the system that is supposed to care for them. Healthcare professionals have a duty to ensure diagnoses are made in a timely and accurate manner. If they fail in this responsibility, you could have every right to feel let down, particularly in cases where irrevocable damage is done to your health.
If you are considering pursuing a medical negligence claim, you can contact us today for free, no-obligation advice on your case.
The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has recently been forced to respond to reportedly fraudulent activity at Steril Milano, a medical company that provides sterilisation services to many medical device manufacturers. Although it is an Italian-based company, it serves manufacturers who provide products in the UK, which is why the UK regulator saw fit to take action.
In 2021, Steril Milano was acquired by Ionisos and it then became the subject of suspicion over alleged fraudulent activity. When this was identified, the company’s certification was withdrawn, which means that products which were already sterilised by this point could, potentially, not have been processed correctly.
According to the MHRA, the safety risks are believed to be low, but the regulator is nevertheless obliged to review the issue and mitigate any potential problems as much as possible.
Read More “MHRA takes action over Steril Milano sterilisation problem”
When a patient undergoes surgery, it is likely that they may develop a scar if any incisions are required in the procedure. In most cases, the scarring is a minor and normal result of the procedure, but there can be cases in which medical negligence has caused an unnecessary degree of scarring. In situations such as these, victims may be able to bring scarring injury claims.
As a result of medical advances, many surgical scars can be minimised and may even fade over time, meaning there is little evidence of the procedures that patients have undergone. However, this also means that excessive scarring can act as evidence of the errors made by a doctor.
In the worst cases, patients can endure physical pain and/or psychological suffering as a result of scarring injuries, potentially developing a negative body image. We know how difficult it can be for the victim, so we want to make sure all those affected by scarring injuries can recover the compensation they deserve.
Since Ian Paterson was first in the media over reports of mistreatment of patients, many have been contacted by the hospitals who employed him. Now, as part of an expanded patient recall by Spire Healthcare, as many as 5,500 patients have been told they may have been affected by potentially harmful practices. If they have, they could be eligible to engage in the latest Ian Paterson compensation claims process.
In 2017, it was reported that former breast surgeon Ian Paterson received a 20-year sentence following convictions that included 17 counts of wounding with intent, and three counts of unlawful wounding. In this criminal case, only some of the victims were accounted for, but it has since emerged that many more may have been affected by potential malpractice. Over the course of his practice, Paterson reportedly misdiagnosed breast cancer, performed breast surgery on patients who didn’t need it, and performed dangerous ‘cleavage-sparing’ mastectomies on breast cancer patients.
The new expansion of compensation claims is a vital step in allowing as many victims as possible to access the justice they deserve. As specialists in medical negligence, we offered our advice to victims of Ian Paterson when his mistreatment was first exposed. If you were affected, we may now be able to help you to ensure that any suffering is compensated for.
When infertility prevents an individual’s or a couple’s ability to have children, the effects can be life-changing. To have the chance to start a family taken away from you is highly distressing under any circumstances, but it can be even more troubling when infertility has been provoked by medical negligence and could have been avoidable. Anyone who has been affected by this traumatic form of clinical negligence may be able to claim compensation for infertility problems.
Infertility can arise under many different circumstances, as the medical negligence may have arisen in the treatment of a condition that was completely unrelated to fertility. Our expertise in the area of clinical negligence allows us to closely examine all the complicated medical details to ensure you receive the best possible resolution to your legal case.
We are here to help you as best as we can.
We implicitly trust that our doctors have our best interests at heart, but in some cases the standard of care can drop, and this can have a negative impact on our health. In the worst cases, the malpractice of health professionals could cause significant injury or harm to a patient, drastically affecting their well-being and way of life.
Medical malpractice can come in many forms, and it takes the expertise of specialist lawyers to clearly establish where the blame lies in these complex cases. We know how harmful the consequences can be for those affected by negligence, which is why we aim to make sure that victims are fairly compensated for the harm caused to them.
Anyone who has been affected by the poor treatment of a medical professional can contact us for advice on their potential claim.
The controversy surrounding this issue is why pelvic mesh claims have been ongoing for several years, and there has yet to be any concrete ban on the use of the implants. Any action from the government has been limited for those affected by the harmful complications. However, those affected by the adverse consequences of mesh implants may be able to make pelvic mesh claims on the basis of medical negligence, and we can help.
The potential complications are now public knowledge following revealing patient testimonies and a damning independent medical products review. However, many women were kept in the dark about the risks associated with the implants when they agreed to undergo surgery in the first place, and this is an element that we can look at.
If you are one of many patients who has been unfairly put at risk as a result of pelvic mesh implants, you may be able to claim compensation for the harm caused to you. We know how debilitating and life-changing the implants can be, which is why we want to ensure that all victims have a chance to seek the justice that they deserve.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the health and social care regulator in the UK, has recently taken Spire Healthcare to court over the provider’s reported failure to be transparent with patients about failures in the surgical procedures they received. The Spire Healthcare court case is understood to have found that the independent health firm delayed notification letters to patients affected by the allegations of negligent treatment by Michael Walsh, a surgeon who formerly worked at Spire Hospital Leeds.
The hearing at Leeds Magistrate Court in April led to Spire Healthcare being fined £5,000, as well as being instructed to pay almost £15,000 in court costs. The firm admitted to failing to contact patients in an appropriate timeframe.
Where potential medical negligence is concerned, it is important that patients are informed from the beginning. By neglecting to inform patients at an early stage, healthcare providers could contribute to a further decline in their health or subject them to more prolonged pain.
Hospital wards can be one of the most fast-paced healthcare environments, with nurses and doctors forced to keep on top of many responsibilities at once. We know that the NHS has been under strain for many years, and the coronavirus pandemic has put even more pressure on our hospitals, but these difficulties are no excuse for a lower quality of care. If you have experienced medical negligence on a ward, or if your loved one has, you may be able to claim compensation for any harm that has been caused.
Whether a nurse has failed to check up on a patient, or a doctor has failed to notice a change in symptoms, there are several kinds of medical negligence that can arise on a ward, many of which are provoked by the inattention of medical professionals. If you think you may have a compensation claim to make, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice.