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compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
Call: 0800 10 757 95
There is no doubt about it: bedsores are a major problem for the NHS, with bedsores suffered by patients resulting in £10 million compensation for medical negligence being paid by the NHS over a six-year period in the "noughties".
In fact, in early 2010 it was revealed that there had been an 80% rise in the incidence of the most acute types of pressure sores over a three-year period, beginning in 2005.
These acute, Grade 4, pressure sores, as well as being very uncomfortable and painful, are very troubling because they can lead to patients suffering long-lasting and chronic damage such as muscle wastage and orthopaedic and osteopathic damage.
In some cases they develop because patients have been left unattended for long periods. In these circumstances, the cause is clearly unacceptable and will frequently result in payouts of compensation for medical negligence.
It was the alarming rise in Grade 4 pressure sores that moved the Liberal Democrats to campaign on the issue. Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow commented, "Pressure sores cause huge amounts of unnecessary pain and distress for thousands of people who are already struggling to regain their health. The worst type of sores can lead to a person being permanently disabled or to their death and yet this all could be prevented with some basic TLC from hospital staff.
"Bed sores all too often arise because a patient has been left alone by staff for hours at a time and there are growing fears that the pressure of hitting targets is at the expense of giving patients the care that they expect and deserve.
"The Government needs to treat this as seriously as hospital infections. Pressure sores are a marker of poor care and are easily preventable."
Indeed, it was at the beginning of the same year that one NHS hospital was left with little choice other than to apologise for their management of the unchecked bedsores that may have contributed to the death of an 87-year-old woman.
Although the patient had checked in to hospital for a routine hip operation, she died in hospital nine weeks later. A coroner looking into the woman's death commented, "The paperwork involving pressure sore assessment and management is incomplete.
"It is not entirely clear, owing to incomplete records and lack of adherence to Trust policy, when the pressure sore developed or how it was managed," he added.
Claim compensation for medical negligence
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales and have suffered undue complication, illness or injury as a result of a medical procedure, it may be possible to claim damages for your pain, injury, suffering, loss of earnings and medical expenses.
A mistake made by a doctor, nurse or midwife can have far-reaching consequences and all aspects of a care - from administering medication to checking for bed sores - should be carried out with the utmost vigour and diligence.
Our clinical negligence solicitors are amongst the leading specialists in the UK and have a strong track record when it comes to proving a direct link between the standard of care received by our clients and the injuries they have sustained as a result.
Many of our specialists are members of the Clinical Negligence Accreditation, while all are governed by the strictures of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
To find out more about how we might be able to assist you receive compensation for medical negligence, complete an online claim form, echat or call 0800 10 757 95 and speak with in confidence with an advisor.
