By Ela Matters Staff 
Have you been left feeling disappointed by a recent healthcare experience?
Whether you were attending routine appointments with your GP or getting examined in hospital, you should have received quality treatment. Any medical professional – from doctors and nurses to surgeons and radiologists – owes you a legal duty of care.
Small mistakes can prompt huge, long-lasting effects for patients. If you think you’ve suffered as a result, it’s worth learning about medical negligence now.
Negligence or complications?
Sometimes, things go wrong in healthcare that can’t be prevented.
From side effects of prescription drugs to unexpected infections, your medical team can only respond to the information they have available. And although this might sometimes warrant a complaint, healthcare professionals always aim for the best possible outcome for each patient.
Negligence, however, involves damaging mistakes. It demonstrates a level of care that falls substandard of professional expectations. From surgical errors to birth injuries, negligent actions cause direct emotional, physical or financial suffering to patients – and potentially their families too.
What counts as medical negligence?
Medical or clinical negligence takes many forms. It’s widely recognised as suffering that’s directly caused by professional failures. A few examples include:
- Administrative errors
- Incorrect prescriptions
- Mistakes made during surgery
- Failure to refer to the appropriate specialist
- Premature discharge
- Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis
Medical negligence can occur in a wide variety of healthcare settings, ranging from private hospitals to sexual health clinics.
Unfortunately, the consequences can be severe. Last year, a two-year old girl died after being given an inappropriate medicine. This is an example of a clear failure by the team who were responsible for her condition.
Have I been affected by medical negligence?
Not sure if you encountered medical negligence? There are certain red flags to look out for. These include a lack of communication from your healthcare team, especially after you’ve made enquiries or complaints. If your health condition deteriorates despite treatment, you should raise your concerns.
If you feel like something’s not quite right, it’s worth seeking professional advice on your situation. You can speak to specially trained medical negligence solicitors to determine whether your care fell short of expectations. You may be entitled to compensation if you’d like to make a claim.
The emotional and physical impact
Negligent care can affect both physical health and emotional wellbeing.
Patients can be left with symptoms that deteriorate over time, leaving them unable to work or look after their families. In some cases, negligence causes disability and imposes care responsibilities on others.
In any severity, medical negligence is traumatic. It could make you lose faith in healthcare providers and feel hesitant to receive treatment in the future. Overcoming the experience is often a long, turbulent battle.
Next steps
Remember, support is always available. Whether you’re unhappy with the quality of care you received, or you’ve already established that you experienced medical negligence, you don’t need to go through it alone.
Build your support network and don’t feel guilty for asking for help. With a team of professionals, friends and loved ones, you can get your life back on track.