Making a medical negligence claim can be a long and stressful experience. Not only are you processing your unhappiness with the result of your medical procedure or treatment, but you then have to go through the rigmarole of chasing the compensation that you may be entitled to. But remember, you deserve the relevant pay out for the stress you’ve had to endure to medical negligence.
Whether you’re sure you have the right to claim or you’d just like a little more information on where to start if you want to delve into this further, here are a few things to consider when making a medical negligence claim.
It’s advisable to make your contact by means of email or letter so that you have a paper trail of exactly what has been discussed. You can also get the help of medical negligence claim solicitor in Dublin.
What is Medical Negligence?
Simply put, medical negligence (sometimes known as clinical negligence) can be any unsatisfactory outcome after treatment, due to the mistakes or failings of medical practitioners involved.
Here are just a few examples of different cases of clinical negligence:
– Making an incorrect diagnosis, or failing to make one altogether
– Making an error during a procedure or operation
– Prescribing the wrong medication
– Not properly informing a patient of the risks ahead of a procedure
Talk To Friends and Family
First thing is first, if you’ve recently undergone a procedure, operation or form of treatment that has left you feeling unhappy with the end results, talk about it. Sharing your worries with family members or friends is the best starting point as you can use these trusted people within your life as a soundboard for your doubts. Having your best interest at heart, they are likely to listen to you and give you their unbiased opinion to help advise you whether or not to begin proceedings by contacting an expert solicitor who specialises in clinical negligence cases.
Making a Complaint
The NHS has a system known as the ‘NHS complaints procedure’ of which the first step is called local resolution. According to the official NHS website you can address your complaint to either:
- The body which provides the service for you
- The body which commissions the service. In the case of hospital treatment, this is a clinical commissioning group and in the case of GP services, this is NHS England. If it’s another service, you can find out who commissions it by going to complaints about other NHS services.
It’s advisable to make your contact by means of email or letter so that you have a paper trail of exactly what has been discussed. If you’re complaining to the service provider, send your complaint to their Chief Executive or head of complaints. You can also send a copy to the body which commissions the service so they are aware of the problem and can contact you with their response and any relevant advice for you. Just remember to make your letter clear and concise, using only necessary details and factual information.
