subject: Different Types Of Medical Negligence Cases In The Uk [print this page] Medical negligence happens when medical professionals make mistakes that result in the emotional or physical harm of the patient. There are a wide number of different types of medical negligence cases and many people may not realise that they even have a case. If you feel that you have a case there are a number of organisations that will help you to make a claim and there are medical negligence solicitors who can take up the case if it goes beyond making a complaint.
One of the most common forms of medical negligence is misdiagnosis or negligent diagnosis. Many different conditions can have very similar symptoms and it can be difficult to diagnosis what the problem is. In some cases, this misdiagnosis can result in injury, suffering or emotional harm. Many patients, especially cancer patients, have found that their illness or problem was not diagnosed quickly enough or that there was too much of a lag between the diagnosis and the beginning of treatment. With diagnoses much of the later treatment is as a result of the initial diagnosis so it is important that it is right to help the patient avoid unnecessary suffering or pain. An easy to miss diagnosis is a fracture, as patients may still retain a certain amount of mobility fractures can be easy to overlook. A failure to diagnose a fracture may leave the patient in a substantial amount of pain and the continued use of the bone may cause lasting damage.
A form of medical negligence that has only been on the rise in the past decade or so is superbugs. Superbugs are highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can result in difficult to treat infections in humans. Two of the most common superbugs are MRSA and C Difficile, and they can become particularly problematic in hospitals and medical settings that do not have high levels of hygiene and cleanliness. C Diff can be particularly hazardous because it can survive outside the body for up to 70 days. Hospitals and medical professionals should follow strict guidelines regarding cleanliness. If they do not, patients that have contracted a superbug may have a medical negligence case against them. Patients in hospitals should not contract a serious infection as a result of medical care. Recent government targets have been introduced to reduce the incidents of hospital superbug contamination, but cases do still occur.
Another key area is hospital negligence and this area covers a wide variety of cases. For many patients this may involve surgical negligence. Most surgical procedures can be very complex, and it is highly important that the surgery is carried out to the highest standards. Unfortunately this is not always the case. There have been incidents where the wrong organ was removed or where surgical instruments have been left inside a patient after surgery. These are more rare examples of surgical negligence but there are many more common examples. The majority of surgical problems are caused by human error or problems with the equipment. Anaesthesia can also be problematic as it needs to be applied very precisely. Anaesthesia errors may result in awareness or pain during the surgical procedure, something that can be very traumatic to the patient. Any of these problems can cause lasting emotional or physical suffering on the part of the patient and can be part of a medical negligence case.
You may think that medical negligence will only take place in a hospital or doctors office, but in reality it can happen in any healthcare setting. Dental negligence can occur when a dentist misdiagnoses a dental condition, where teeth are incorrectly removed or when infections happen as a result of dental care. These are only some of the possible causes of dental negligence. Negligence may also happen at a pharmacy where a pharmacist makes a mistake and supplies the wrong dosage or amount of medication. There have also been cases where the wrong medication has been given to a patient. The emergency room is also a common setting for medical negligence. The speed at which the doctors and nurses have to work at often leads to mistakes being made. If an ambulance takes an overly long amount of time to arrive at the scene of an emergency this can also result in a medical negligence case if a significant injury is suffered.
There are many other types of medical negligence, far too many to list here. Some of the other cases that are fairly common may include negligence on the part of nursing staff where treatment and care was not monitored properly. Problems and injuries arising from cosmetic surgery, such as failed surgeries, also can fall under medical negligence. Another example is if you have been operated on without your consent, this is known as battery and you can claim compensation. If a sterilisation or abortion procedure was not successful, the resulting pregnancy can be proof for a negligence case. If you were not properly made aware of the risks of a surgery and something went wrong you can also put in a claim. Injuries or trauma to mothers and/or babies during pregnancy or childbirth are also an important form of medical negligence. There are many other types of medical negligence, so if some form of health care has gone wrong for you, you may have a case and it is crucial that you find out what can be done for you.
