Errors And Delays In Diagnosis

Patients place great trust in their doctors to handle their case in the correct manner, to the highest standards possible. There is confidence that the medical records will be examined, the correct tests will be run on the patient, and that the patient will be diagnosed accordingly. Often with little experience themselves; it is satisfying to know that they are in great hands. People are correct in trusting their doctors, as the majority of the time, the correct treatment is given and the process runs smoothly to the patient's satisfaction. However, on occasion doctors have been known to misdiagnose a patient, resulting in great distress for the patient. In these cases, it can be possible to bring a claim for medical negligence.    

The types of misdiagnosis that can occur include the following:

Misinterpretation of the patient's medical records

Failure to diagnose a condition or illness (such as cancer)

Failure to diagnose a condition or illness (such as cancer)

Test results not being responded to

Medical negligence occurs when doctors fail to respond to test results or misinterpret them. The doctor is responsible for owing a duty of care to their patient, in ensuring that the patient is diagnosed correctly. This involves checking to see that the correct form of tests are carried out sufficiently in order to establish what is wrong with the patient, and working out the best form of treatment for the patient. If the patient's case is relatively minor, the doctor's error may not prove to be highly harmful to the patient. However, failure to diagnose accurately in some cases can prove to be fatal to the patient. On the other hand, some doctors inform patients that they have cancer when in fact they do not, thus causing unnecessary worry and pain.  

How to make a claim for medical compensation

Regrettably a large proportion of people every year are either misdiagnosed, or undiagnosed as a result of medical negligence. In some cases, a careless mistake on the part of the doctor can prove to be fatal for the patient. For a patient to make a claim, certain factors will need to be considered. In some cases, the doctor would have made an obvious error, which resulted in the injury to the patient. However, other cases may not be so clear cut. Therefore, the fundamental question that will be asked will be, what would the outcome have been had the patient received the correct diagnosis initially?  

In accordance with the English Law, the real test is whether earlier treatment had a better than 50% chance of succeeding. As this test is quite confined, it can produce some harsh results. However, if you have suffered pain and suffering as a result of misdiagnosis, that would not have occurred had the initial diagnosis been correct, you may be entitled to claim for compensation. Our expert clinical negligence solicitors will assess your case on its own merit, and inform you of the best way to handle your case.