Medical professionals do a fantastic job of helping people in their time of need, providing expert advice and treatment to prevent injury or illness and to help with their recovery. However, medical professionals, such as GPs and nurses, are not immune from making mistakes, and when this happens the effects can be devastating. This can take the form of an ailment either not being diagnosed or being diagnosed incorrectly.
Errors of this type can result in important treatment either being delayed or not being carried out at all. As such, a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis can have a life-changing impact and it is important that if this has happened to you or someone you know that legal assistance is sought to secure a compensation amount that can help you to continue with your life.
Common Errors
A diagnosis may be delayed or missed for any number of reasons. However, some of the more common mistakes can include:
- Failing to correctly examine the patient
- Interpreting test results incorrectly or not accurately enough
- Failing to refer a patient to a specialist
- It may be that a condition goes completely undiagnosed over a lengthy period, for example if you regularly visit your GP and a diagnosis is not made when it should have been, or it could be that a diagnosis is simply incorrect. For example, if a sprain is diagnosed when in fact you have suffered a fracture.
Typical claims may include:
- General Practice claims
- Cancer claims
- Diabetes claims
- Fatal claims
- Brain Injuries
- Orthopaedic Injuries including Fractures
- Spinal Injuries including Cauda Equina Syndrome
- Cerebral Palsy
- Deep Vein Thrombosis