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Failure to spot the key signs of a devastating illness, such as cancer, is the key factor in many medical negligence claims and in 2009 a retired GP was taken to London's High Court by the family of a young man who died from a virulent form of testicular cancer that they feel should have been spotted by his doctor.
The young man was 19 when he first visited his GP's surgery in October 2002, and it was at this initial consultation that the family allege the medical negligence occurred. The solicitor acting on behalf of the family suggested that the doctor made a "straightforward misdiagnosis" when he failed to recognise the lump on his patient's testicle as being potentially malignant.
He alleged the GP reached an "over-optimistic" conclusion regarding the patient's health and apart from reassuring the patient and advising him to come back if he was concerned, he effectively "did nothing".
The GP, who retired after over thirty years in practice, insisted that the lump was merely a "thickening of the epididymis" with no certain abnormality. He said that the skin thickening did not make him feel further tests were necessary.
Following the alleged cancer misdiagnosis, the young man's health deteriorated, but as this coincided with Christmas he initially felt that perhaps he had overindulged during the festive season.
Then, during 2003, he began to suffer from severe stomach cramps and further symptoms which another doctor suggested were the result of gastric problems. At this consultation the court were told the patient did not mention the testicular lump as he had been reassured that it was harmless.
The man was finally diagnosed with cancer in 2004 and he died in 2008.
The medical negligence case was primarily concerned with establishing whether or not the patient actually had cancer at the time of the initial 2002 consultation. The solicitor for the family argued that had the patient been referred for an ultrasound scan, it would have detected any malignancy which could then have been treated.
Making a medical negligence claim with the experts at You Claim
We understand that medical negligence claims are amongst the most distressing, but our experienced personal injury solicitors can explain all you need to know without jargon and in a non-pressurised manner.
They are governed by the strict tenets of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, a branch of the Law Society, so you are guaranteed a professional service at all times. Unfortunately, the complexities of medical negligence cases prevent us from stating unequivocally that you will not be charged, but we do promise to explain fully the extent of any charges before you decide to go ahead with the claim, and in a one case we do our best to recover those fees for you, as fully as possible.
If you wish to discuss a medical negligence claim, please call our free and confidential UK helpline now on 0800 10 757 95 or you can request a more convenient time when we can call you back. Alternatively, fill in the online claim form and we will look into your compensation claim before we call you to discuss it further. Above all, at YouClaim we are here to help.
