Hospital & Surgery Claims at a Glance
Going into hospital is something most people dread. Whether it’s for an operation or an investigation, it is a stressful time and no matter how stoical you are, it is daunting. Pryers have a team of skilled solicitors at hand to assist you in making a claim to obtain the compensation you deserve.
Contact us today to speak with a member of our team.
If something goes wrong whilst you are in the hospital, do you have a claim for medical negligence? The answer is that you could well have. All medical staff have a duty of care to you and all patients, to provide you with the best possible healthcare. If they fall below this standard and you suffer an injury as a result, you can make a claim for damages/compensation.
Hospital Negligence
Hospital negligence can happen in many different ways, whether it occurs in the NHS or in a private hospital. There is no comprehensive, exhaustive list so you should contact us to see if you have a valid claim.
Many cases involve surgery and prior to any surgery, even minor procedures, you must be counselled and told about the risks of the procedure. All surgery carries risks e.g. nerve damage, excessive bleeding and significant blood loss, and before you commit to the surgery and sign the consent form, you must understand any such risks or side-effects and proceed to the surgery fully and properly informed.
There are numerous types of operations that can lead to compensation claims, thankfully the majority of operations are carried out on the right patient and on the right site. Sadly, we have dealt with a number of cases where the hospital have carried out the wrong operation on the wrong patient!
Anaesthetic Problems
Many surgical procedures are carried out under anaesthetic to reduce or prevent pain during the operation, so getting the right type and dosage of anaesthetic is crucial for each patient. If the anaesthetist gets this wrong, a patient could potentially be awake, unable to make the surgeon aware through all, or part of the operation and feel pain due to the ineffective anaesthetic. Poor drug/fluid management or failure to correctly intubate a patient can lead to brain damage as not enough oxygen is received.
Surgical Negligence
The surgery itself can be performed negligently, which in turn can have devastating and sometimes fatal consequences. We have extensive experience in acting for patients in a wide variety of surgery claims. The cover operations on your heart and lungs, bowel and bladder surgery, liver and pancreas procedures and gall bladder and bile duct surgery (cholecystectomy).
Post Operative Care
Post-operatively, the hospital are required to offer a high level of care – there can be problems that emerge such as excessive blood loss during the surgery or damage to other internal organs. Some patients suffer severe reactions to cleaning fluids used during the operation. Medical staff also have to be vigilant for development of deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism.
Claims against hospitals also include falls whilst under the care of the hospital including falling out of bed, and developing pressure sores or ulcers. These serious skin injuries should not occur in modern day hospitals with vigilant and expert care.
Many cases also arise where hospitals have failed to carry out the right diagnosis on a patient, these include missed fractures, mismanaging infections and errors in diagnosing cancer.
If yourself or a family member have been given an incorrect diagnosis, have suffered an injury during post-operative care or have suffered from surgeon negligence, call Pryers Solicitors today on to discuss a possible claim.
