Incorrect Medical Treatment - A&E Negligence

Incorrect Medical Treatment Compensation

The pressures of working in an Accident and Emergency department within any hospital can sometimes lead to mistakes being made. Doctors and nurses working in these areas are usually highly experienced and very well trained to identify injuries and illnesses and treat them appropriately, but sometimes trying to deal with a huge number of patients as quickly as possible can lead to an incorrect treatment being administered.

An incorrect diagnosis can be incredibly serious, in some cases leading to death. Take for example the Scottish lady who was taken to her local A&E department twice complaining of vomiting and pain, and each time was sent home with antibiotics to treat a suspected urinary-tract infection. Feeling even worse she returned to the hospital five days later to be admitted onto a ward where it was found that cancer had spread throughout her body. While she was in the hospital her health deteriorated and, tragically, she died. The case is yet to be heard in court, but significant damages are likely to be paid out to her family.
Many cases of incorrect treatment do not lead to an untimely death, but if your health is put at risk by mistakes made during your treatment it is highly likely that you will be eligible to make a claim for compensation.

Administering an incorrect treatment might mean that the initial injury or illness remains untreated and can be left to progress, in other cases it might involve additional injury to be suffered. Issues such as this can occur at different stages within the accident and emergency system; unclear handwriting on a prescription can lead to serious complications. One example is the Glasgow woman who was prescribed VitA-POS to help with her dry eyes. Instead of the correct treatment, the pharmacist issued her with Vitaros; an erectile dysfunction cream which burned her eyes and involved hospital treatment to deal with.
Mistakes like this can lead to additional injury, or even death, and systems have been put in place to improve handwriting and reduce such errors.

If you or someone you care for has suffered as a result of incorrect treatment you should get in touch with one of our friendly and highly experienced solicitors. We will listen to your case and help decide what is the best way to take the matter forward. In cases where the incorrect treatment has led to inconvenience without ongoing issues, the pay-out is likely to be less than if the mistake has caused significant pain or suffering, but in any case there needs to be action taken, not just for the benefit of those who have suffered, but also to help prevent issues in the future. Contact us today and let us see how we can help you get the pay-out you deserve.