A&E departments are the busiest and most over stretched medical services in the UK. Clinical errors are more likely to occur in A&E than in any other part of the health service. The consequences can be severe as A&E patients of may have a serious or life threatening injury or illness.
A&E negligence claims can arise due to a medical practitioner’s failure to:
- Properly examine the patient and fully consider their symptoms, injury or illness.
- Thoroughly and accurately interpret test results, x-rays or scans.
- Request and conduct the appropriate investigations, such as blood tests, x-rays or scans.
- Admit patients for further treatment.
- Recognise serious symptoms and missing high risk conditions.
The effects of A&E negligence can be life changing, leaving the patient with long term injuries or health conditions. Common types of claims of this nature include:
- Delayed treatment of illness or injury.
- Failure to properly examine the patient and fully consider their symptoms, injury or illness.
- Failure to correctly interpret test results, x-rays or scans.
- Failure to request or conduct appropriate investigations, such as blood tests, x-rays or scans.
- Failure to admit patients for further investigation or treatment.
- Incorrect medication or treatment provided.
- Misdiagnosis of illness or injury (resulting in a worse outcome overall).
Clinical negligence payouts are dependent upon the individual circumstances of your case. The amount will depend on factors such as:
- The severity of the effects of the clinical negligence. How your life has been affected by the injury or illness.
- Financial losses, including how much money you have lost or will lose as a result of the clinical negligence (e.g. loss of earnings, travel expenses).