How Can Medical Negligence Affect You?

It's expected that doctors, nurses and surgeons maintain the very highest standards of practice and levels of professionalism. But no matter how good a medic is, they are only human. And that means that accidents may happen.

Or, even worse, that cases of medical negligence can occur and affect you or someone close to you.

Medical Negligence

But what is medical negligence, and how can it affect you or your family?

Medical negligence is defined as a breach of the duty of care that a medical professional owes to the patient – whether that patient is you, a close family member ,a child or anyone else. There are many actions or omissions which can be classified as a breach of this duty of care, but common ones include the following:

•    Failure to give you due warning of any risks involved in your treatment
•    Failure to obtain the consent they need to perform an operation or provide treatment
•    Not taking enough care during surgery, resulting in an injury or disfigurement
•    A delay in referring you to a specialist or consultant
•    A delay or complete failure to diagnose medical problems or issues
•    The prescription of incorrect or unsuitable medication
There are other instances of negligence to consider, but the ones above are among the most common that occur in the UK.

Put simply, if a doctor, nurse, surgeon or other medical professional acts in an incorrect or improper way, then they may legally have been negligent. And that can cause you problems. 

But now you know what negligence is, do you know what to do if you are subject to medical negligence?

What Should I do if I'm a Victim of Medical Negligence?

If you think that you have received incorrect treatment or have otherwise been subject to medical negligence, the most important thing is not to panic, and to seek a second opinion on your condition or symptoms from a doctor.

Once treatment has begun and your condition has been brought under control by a medical professional, you may wish to consider claiming compensation for the injuries or distress brought about by clinical negligence.

And to do that, you'll need expert help.

Hiring Medical Negligence Solicitors

In this instance, the experts that you need aren't in the medical profession. They're legal experts. Specifically medical or clinical negligence solicitors, who will be able to guide you through the whole process.

That's why you need to ensure that you're working with experts who know what they're talking about. Claiming compensation doesn't need to be complicated, but without the right help, your claim could take longer than you might hope to be resolved.

So if you're worried that you've been the victim of medical negligence, pick up the phone and call your local clinical negligence solicitors. They'll be happy to help you out.