Common examples of hospital negligence

There may be occasions when you attend your GP or hospital and are left feeling unhappy with the treatment or service you have received. You may be left wondering whether your feelings are justified or whether substandard treatment is to be expected in an overwhelmed health service.

Despite the current pressures within the NHS, it remains the case that all medical professionals owe their patients a duty of care to ensure that they provide treatment to a reasonable standard. A failure to deliver on this important duty may constitute medical negligence and you may be entitled to recover compensation.

It can be difficult for patients to know what may constitutes medical negligence and so we have set out below the most common examples to provide some guidance:

1. Misdiagnosis/Delayed Diagnosis

This can include incorrect diagnosis, missed diagnosis or delayed diagnosis. This can result in incorrect treatment or medication being provided whilst the correct diagnosis remains undetected and can ultimately lead to a worsening of the condition.

One of the most common conditions which is misdiagnosed is cancer, and this can have serious consequences including more extensive treatment (i.e. surgery) or even death.

2. Surgical errors

This can include performing surgery which is not required or performing surgery to an unacceptable standard.

Common examples of surgical errors include unintentionally causing damage to surrounding tissue (e.g. perforating a bowel during hysterectomy procedure), leaving foreign objects behind, incorrect use of anaesthetic and poor sanitation leading to post-surgical infection.

3. Referrals

This can include failing to make a referral to an appropriate specialist or failing to place the referral on the appropriate pathway according to urgency.

A common example is when a GP fails to make a referral using the appropriate cancer pathway and this leads to a delay in the patient being seen by a specialist and commencing treatment such as chemotherapy.

4. Incorrect medication

This can include prescribing medication that the patient is allergic to, prescribing incorrect medication or prescribing an incorrect dosage of medication.

Common examples would be a pharmacist who mistakenly provides a patient with another patients medication or a GP who prescribes antibiotics to a patient who is known to be allergic to them.

5. Pregnancy & birth injuries

This can include errors by midwives and doctors during the course of the pregnancy, during the birth process or errors in the postnatal care.

Common examples would be failing to carry out correct antenatal checks, failing to spot signs of foetal distress or failing to diagnose and treat postnatal infections. The consequences of such failures can be serious including oxygen deprivation, brain damage or even stillbirth.

It is not possible to list all scenarios in which medical negligence can take place. Each case is different to the next and so it is important that you contact a medical negligence solicitor immediately should you have any concerns regarding the treatment you have received.

If you believe you or a loved one has suffered due to medical negligence and you would like a free consultation to discuss your options, please call Aston Knight Solicitors today on 0161 399 1231 or click the ‘Contact’ button above to submit an online enquiry and one of our dedicated Solicitors will contact you to discuss your claim further.