We can help you claim
compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
Call: 0800 10 757 95
Prevention is always better than cure and many instances of clinical negligence relate to doctors who have made a misdiagnosis and failed to recognise symptoms of an illness, which then goes on to become life-threatening or fatal.
Health changes reported by a patient to a GP can often be misleading and medical professionals must carry out their own investigations to ensure a less complicated ailment, such as heartburn, is not confused with the early signs of a heart attack, for example.
Most of us have only a sketchy knowledge of illness, often gleaned from television, newspapers or the internet and rely on doctors to have the knowledge and experience to either treat us immediately or make a referral to a specialist.
In the situation of a digestive problem being mistaken for a heart condition, a patient may not describe his symptoms accurately and it is up to the doctor to test thoroughly and explore all possibilities so that the most serious illnesses can be discounted or treated.
A case was reported in the medical press in January 2011 of a patient who saw his GP because over six weeks he had developed a tight, burning sensation in his chest after meals which cleared when he belched. The GP checked his blood pressure, which was high, but the doctor did not make other investigations.
As the patient had suffered from a suspected digestive problem four years earlier, the GP thought it was a recurrence so gave him a prescription for an indigestion remedy and made a note to that effect.
The 55-year-old man visited the surgery twice more in the following three months and saw other GPs who followed the previous misdiagnosis, despite the man having continuing high blood pressure.
On his final visit to the practice – a week before he died from a heart attack – he was the victim of a further doctor's error when he was told he was suffering from stress.
It was most unfortunate for this man that neither of the two doctors who saw him subsequent to the first visit checked their colleague's diagnosis or they might have spotted other signs of the heart attack and given him life-saving preventive treatment.
GPs are at the front-line of community health services but even the most experienced can make mistakes and patients should not be afraid to seek second opinions or to keep returning to their surgery if they have genuine concerns.
Doctors would far rather save the lives of their patients than be responsible for their deaths through misdiagnosis and have to pay compensation claims made by their distressed families who have prematurely lost a loved one.
YouClaim lawyers for clinical negligence
The field of clinical negligence is complicated for anyone who feels justified in making a compensation claim and requires the services of an experienced solicitor to ensure all aspects of a damages case are covered.
Here at YouClaim we have a wealth of professional knowledge, allied to a sympathetic approach from all those working in our legal teams which are available throughout the UK.
To find out how we can help families who have suffered the loss of a loved one or someone who has been the victim of misdiagnosis, contact us in confidence either through this webpage by completing an online inquiry form or by calling free on 0800 10 757 95.
