How common is medical negligence?
As much as we'd all like to avoid hospitals for the foreseeable future, unfortunately, many of us end up in hospital at some point in our lives. Although our procedures often go smoothly, sometimes the standard of care you receive falls below what' expected from that of a competent professional. If so, you may have experienced medical negligence.
In fact, according to NHS resolution, in 2020/21 there were 12,692 medical negligence claims brought against the NHS, so medical negligence can and does happen.
What is medical negligence?
Before we can delve into how common medical negligence is, it's important to establish what medical negligence actually is.
Firstly, it's important to remember that medical negligence isn't just poor service by a hospital or medical professional. Medical negligence goes far beyond that. For medical negligence to occur, you'll need to prove that:
- There was a failure to provide a proper standard of care
- You were injured because of negligence
- That injury had damaging consequences
Damaging consequences could cover things such as insufferable pain, disability or a loss of income.
If you received bad service from a healthcare provider but it was not medical negligence, you can still make a formal complaint.
How common is medical negligence?
As stated above, there are just short of 13,000 cases made against the NHS each year. Some of the most common areas you may experience medical negligence include:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Emergency medicine
- Gynecology
- General care
- Psychiatry
However, medical negligence can occur in any discipline, so it's important to know what to do if it happens to you.
What can you do in the event of medical negligence?
If you think you've fallen victim to medical negligence, then the good news is that all is not lost. The first thing to do, once you've made a complaint to the healthcare provider, is to get in touch with a reputable medical negligence solicitor.
It's important to get in touch with a solicitor as soon as possible after your injury, as there is a time limit on most medical negligence cases. This is normally three years but can vary, so it's best to act quickly.
Final thoughts…
Although nobody likes to think about the possibility of routine surgeries or GP visits going wrong, unfortunately, accidents do happen. After all, doctors are only human and can make mistakes, much like we all do!
However, the good news is that there are options available to you if you are not pleased with the standard of care you receive. Whether you choose to make a formal complaint, get legal advice or pursue a claim, the power is in your hands.