It’s not unreasonable to expect the very best care from healthcare professionals. However, sometimes things can and do go wrong. According to figures that were released by the BBC at the end of 2019, the total cost of outstanding compensation claims facing the NHS amounts to £83 billion. This is clearly a serious issue for the UK, and one that needs to be seriously addressed and understood.
What is a clinical negligence claim?
There are a number of different scenarios that can lead to being able to claim for clinical negligence compensation. Some common claims can include:
- Cosmetic surgery negligence claims
- A&E negligence claims
- Dental negligence claims
- Gynaecological negligence claims
- Amputation claims
- Pregnancy and birth negligence claims
- Surgical negligence claims
- Cosmetic surgery negligence claims
- Care home and nursing home negligence claims
A clinical negligence payout can occur whenever a scenario fulfils the exact definition. Claims can be roughly judged based on something known as the 4 D’s of medical malpractice. These are:
- Duty
During training, all doctors are taught what the duty of care is that they must provide to all of their patients.
- Derelict
Dereliction is the official term for when a medical professional is considered to have broken this duty of care.
- Direct Cause
In order for a clinical malpractice claim to be filed, you must be able to prove that it was the direct fault of a medical professional.
- Damages
The clinical negligence payout that you could earn will be calculated based on the physical injury and the psychological injury, as well as any medical or travel expenses.
If anyone who may have suffered from clinical negligence is unsure as to whether their case fits into this rubric, then specialist clinical negligence solicitors can help individuals to understand this.
Hospital Negligence Claims – What are they?
There are a multitude of reasons that you may have had to attend a hospital, and this is reflected in how many different hospital negligence claims are routinely made. Some of the most common include:
- Delays in treatment
- Misdiagnosis
- Errors with medication
- Contracting an infection whilst in hospital (e.g. MRSA or C. difficile)
- A&E negligence
- Neglect by staff
What is a dental negligence claim?
Dental negligence claims are calculated in the same way as clinical and hospital negligence claims. Some common examples of dental negligence can include:
- Periodontal disease misdiagnosis
- Cosmetic dentistry problems
- Nerve Injury
- Delay or incorrect diagnosis – including oral cancer misdiagnosis
- Restorative dentistry errors
- Mistakes in treatment leading to the loss or damage of multiple teeth
It is important to start your claims process as soon as possible, because you need to make your claim within three years from the point of receiving negligent treatment. Dental negligence solicitors can help you to do this. After three years have passed, you will no longer be eligible to make a claim regarding any clinical or dental negligence.
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