Posts Tagged ‘Clinical Negligence’
Sunday, August 1st, 2010
When getting medical treatment, we place our lives in the hands of doctors because we trust our doctors completely. Most of the time, things happen according to the way they are expected to, but at times things can go wrong. As a patient, if you been a victim of medical negligence, you should know what needs to be done.
If you have been the victim of any medical negligence by the medical staff, whether it is the doctor or the nurses, it is your duty to register your complaint with the concerned authority to make sure that no one else falls prey to their mistakes, which can even take their lives. It is true that everybody makes mistakes but the mistakes made by medical staff can be extremely risky and hence, being a responsible citizen, one should register their complaint as soon as possible.
This procedure helps you in recognizing the problems that you have faced during a medical procedure. Also, you have all the right to demand an explanation and compensation as well for the trauma that you have suffered. If you feel that your doctor has been negligent in your case it is very important to take a legal action. Most people are unaware of the rights they have as a patient. Initially, you need to contact the NHS organization.
You can register your complaints with the concerned hospital which is hiring that doctor or nurse against whom you want to register the case. Every hospital has a complaint registering office and they make sure that all the complaints that have been made by the patients are looked into, and proper investigation is carried out. This step is also known as Local Resolution.
If, just in case, you are not satisfied with the proceedings of the local resolution and you think that the concerned authorities of the hospital did not take up the matter seriously then you can contact an independent review panel, which is not associated with the management of the hospital; they conduct their own independent investigation process. They make sure that there is no discrimination in their investigation and being the neutral party, they are in the best position to give a final verdict.
They make sure that there is no discrimination in their investigation and being the neutral party, they are in the best position to give a final verdict.
The third and last resort is to file an appeal with the court. If you think that the independent review panel did not give you satisfying result then you can always file an appeal with the court and let the law do justice with you. Although if you think that the court did not fully take up the matter and rejected your case, you always have the right of asking for judicial review, which is the final and last resort to get any sort of compensation.
It is a well-known notion, “hold your horses”. It is best that when you plan to file a complaint against your doctor or any other medical staff, you follow these steps one by one and do not jump to the last step, as it will not only waste your money, time and other resources and you will have more chances of losing the case.
One of the UK’s leadingClinical Negligence Lawyers .
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
It is a common enough occurrence that one suffers through a medical condition, and goes for getting treatment, at which point sometimes, the treatment is not up to the mark. During this, things can unexpectedly go wrong. In such circumstances, one may think that nothing can be done about it. Quite to the contrary, you can do something.
Normally, all the medical care and treatment centres work according to their best effort, but it is obvious that they can also commit mistakes in any particular case handling. It does not happen often, but sometimes it does.
If people are not satisfied, then they go with a complaint or suggestion to the centre. Therefore, at that time, it is essential to know that from where they should start complaining about any particular issue. So keep in mind that it is not possible that any NHS organisation has no complaints procedure. In that respect, you need to find out about it, and ask from a member of the staff, keep an eye on the hospital or the website of an NGO, and finally after going through all the procedure, you may contact to the complaint department for more information.
Today in this busy life, it is difficult for the people to take out time for the purpose of submitting complaint, in fact, complaint works really well for the betterment of an organisation. They only comment, or complaint at the point in which they have received service. These complaints or feedbacks are very important, as they inform NHS organisations that which things are more helpful the patients.
When the patient is not comfortable with the treatment, he/she has received, or has been rejected treatment for any reason, you have a right to complain, ask from the responsible personnel whether they are investigating properly, and be given a full and quick reply. You have a right to file a complaint either to the service that you are not satisfied, furthermore, you can complain to your local primary care trust that commissions the services. The NHS is using an easiest complaints process, which has two phases.
I. Just go and ask your hospital or trust for its complaints procedure, and that copy will definitely guide you that how you have to complaint. So normally, your first step is to put your particular issue in writing, or by speaking to them. You can go along the practitioner, for example a nurse or doctor whoever is concerned or with their organisation, which has a complaints manager. This process is known as local resolution, and several cases are cleared at this phase.
II. If you are still not satisfied, then you may refer the matter to the high Parliament, or Health Service Ombudsman, these are the individual authorities.
It is your legal right to be given the adequate medical care and treatment. You also have a legal right to complain and have your complain amply investigated. These rights are recognized and explained NHS constitution.
Information on how to makeNHS Complaints and advice.
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
Monday, July 19th, 2010
Some of the misfortunes in life are the accidents to which nobody can be held responsible. Others are merely responsible for the wrong conduct, and constitute grounds for both compensations, and punishments. It is important to distinguish between the various categories, and analyse carefully over moral, sensitive, and scientific issues.
The hospital staffs comprise of licensed physicians and health care providers like nurses, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Before all these employees are hired, severe inquiries are made over their education, training and licensing. However, if in any case, it is proved that the hospital itself did not make the required inquiries then it is liable to be blames for corporate negligence. Thus, a hospital is liable for its own negligence if it fails to inquire the credentials of a practicing physician before he is honoured at the hospital for the treatment of various patients.
It is necessary for all the hospitals to have ample amount of nurses so that proper treatment of the patients can be done with precise care. If for any reason, there is a shortage of these nurses then there could be a situation during which a medical negligence case may be filed against that particular hospital for not taking proper measures for patients care, and safety.
Whenever, the issue of clinical negligence arises, the medical professionals are weighted against the level of competency, and professionalism among the peers belonging to the same fields. This means that the brain surgeon will be judged in the same standards as of the other brain surgeons.
There are cases when the health care providers are under independent contract and cannot be taken as hospital employees; this validates the fact that when a doctor, health care provider or a physician in not liable to respondent superior doctrine, and happens to commit any sort of negligence, the hospital would not be liable to any such blame. In such cases, the doctor himself would be sued for such act of irresponsibility.
In many other situations, there are independent contract employees that work for a certain health care providers, but these employees do not fall in the hospital staff. Therefore, if any medical malpractice act is observed by any of these on-contract employees, the hospital will not be liable for the medical malpractice, but it will be the individual permanent employee who will be liable for his/her medical negligence act and will be prosecuted accordingly.
There are also many situations in which the pharmaceutical manufacturer is liable for a medical maltreatment, this occurs when a drug is used for the treatment of a patient.
If the pharmaceutical manufacturer does not warn the physician of any possible side effects, or risks involved by consuming the drug, then they will also be held legally responsible for medical negligence.
How to bring a claim for Medical Negligence.
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
Monday, July 19th, 2010
We expect doctors and nurses to provide us with excellent care, and facilitate us well during our medical procedures. In most of the cases, things happen as expected; however, at times, things can go wrong too. If you or anyone from your family has suffered due to medical negligence, you have all the rights to demand an explanation from the doctors, and medical staff.
Sometimes, the negligence can end up by consuming life of a patient. You cannot just ignore what has happened and you have all the rights to file a complaint against the doctor, and medical staff. You can claim explanation, apology, and compensation for the loss that you have suffered. A doctor is supposed to inform the patient if a treatment has gone wrong.
The law and judiciary have made strict regulations, and no doctor can practice without a valid license, which is issued by the concerned authorities. If any medical staffs have been found guilty for medical negligence, then a strict action is taken, so that no one else fall prey to their mistakes.
It is argued that the doctors are human beings, and human beings can make mistakes whereas such negligence is not acceptable by the law, as lives of many can be at risk if a proper action is not taken.
When a doctor or nurse is found guilty, their practicing license is immediately cancelled, and a proper investigation into the matter is ordered to make sure that all the evidence has been taken. The victims are also given the right to register their complaints with the local administrative authorities. If a satisfying solution is not given, then the victims can hire independent review panel who will investigate the case on their own from the scratch, and they will give you the result.
When it comes to UK’s law the medical negligence is judges on other doctors’ actions as well. If other doctors have performed the same mistake of procedure in result of a same injury, then the doctor will not be considered negligent. There are other ways of settling claims too. You can always settle the claim out of court. Your medical negligence solicitor can discuss your case with the authority, or with the concerned doctor. If things work out, well, and good if not, you always have an option to go to court.
Usually it is suggested that before filing the case, one should hire the services of a solicitor who are well aware of their job. They make sure that the victims have all the evidence and records to reduce the chances of rejection. Further, the solicitor will make sure that all the formalities have been filled, and a proper channel has been followed in order to reduce the risks of rejection.
If the patient is right, the court may order the doctor to pay the compensation fees. In addition, court has every right to cancel the license of the doctor. UK has very strict laws related to medical negligence, and they are followed strictly as well.
How to bring a claim for Medical Negligence.
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
Monday, July 19th, 2010
It is the right of every individual to complain against the service providers if proper standard care is not received. Significance of feedback, whether good or bad, cannot be undervalued. If things are going smoothly you must appreciate it but if the services are not satisfactory, do not hesitate to complain.
It is often seen that the medical care procedures and treatments are executed successfully. But sometimes, patients are not happy with the care provided by the health care providers so they want to complain. It is their legal right to complain if the NHS practitioner has not been providing adequate amount or type of care. Bad behavior of the practitioner can lead to several complications. It can also lead to both substantial and emotional damage. Several cases in which misconduct can occur include false claims of capability, false claims of qualification, breaching confidentiality and maneuvering the record of the patient.
The NHS complaint is reviewed by the complaints manager at the NHS facility and they try to resolve it at the local level. If you feel that your complaint has not been properly dealt with, you can send the complaint for an independent review to NHS.
There are many options for you to choose from if you have not been compensated. Independent review is the second option. You can make the request for the independent review to the independent review secretariat which is autonomous of the NHS.
Then, you can hire a negligence solicitor or lawyer, who is there to guide you through it and also tends to collect important evidence in this regard. If you have to claim for compensation of any kind, it is only the negligence lawyers who will help you deal with it by submitting an application and also later looking over the entire procedure.
The laws of the state suggest that medical negligence on the part of the doctor as well as of the health service can be acclaimed and asked for. This will eventually increase your chances of getting compensation and getting repaid for the damage that has been caused to you.
The last option would be taking help from court or judicial review. The jury arbitrates and makes a decision for both the parties. A solicitor is hired in this case. The medical matters are protected feverishly but if you have medical proof and evidence to support your case, it is recommended to start the proceedings as soon as possible.
Filing and contesting a clinical negligence case is quite an uphill task and may take years to resolve. These are not open and shut cases as people working in the health care sector try to cover faults of each other and most of the jargon used is medical terminology, which everyone does not understand. A clinical negligence case can take up to ten years before the court gives a verdict.
How to bring a claim for Medical Negligence.
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
Monday, July 19th, 2010
An injury that occurs to the child during or immediately after the birth can be classified as a birth injury. There are numerous reasons behind a birth injury; sometimes, it occurs due to the medical malpractice and at other times, it is simply due to the process of birth. Many times, it can happen due to the improper use of delivery instruments, the lack of insight at the part of the doctor in performing a timely C section or improper monitoring of the baby during the delivery.
There are different types of birth injuries. Some of the most common birth injuries are caput succedaneum, cephalohematoma, subconjunctival haemorrhage, forceps lacerations and bruising, facial paralysis, brachial plexus palsy, fractures and cerebral palsy. Mild bruising and swelling disappears in a few days however, brain damaging injuries cannot be cured and cause serious damage.
These injuries may occur due to the negligence on the part of the doctor and the other health care staff. The families of these babies have to suffer mentally as well as financially. This accounts to the case of medical negligence, therefore, they can file a suit for compensation against the injury.
One thing that must be remembered here is that a layman is not well versed with the legal technicalities. Therefore, an aggrieved party cannot take appropriate action against the responsible authorities. They need to take the help of the legal professionals, who are qualified and experienced.
In addition to the doctor, the hospital can also be held responsible for the pain, suffering and the trauma that the parents and their baby had to endure.
A better option for birth injury lawsuits is to contact lawyers who have the experience of dealing with these kinds of claims. A person cannot claim for birth injury on his own, because there are many complexities that have to be handled by a lawyer. Lawyers know very well about different ways to deal with cases of birth injuries, and to prove that the injury has occurred solely as a result of medical negligence.
Similarly, it is often tried that these issues are not made public due to the sensitivity of the profession of medicine. Generally, when the aggrieved party files a lawsuit for birth injuries against the health care providers, they inform their medical malpractice insurers. From then onwards, the medical malpractice insurers become their representatives and the birth injury attorney becomes the representative of the aggrieved party.
A physician is then appointed by the health care providers. He/she is required to do an independent medical examination of the baby as well as an MRI, in case of a brain injury. Thus after careful investigation, the lawsuit of birth injury is settled between both the parties. A settlement is reached with mutual consent of both parties. A thorough investigation is required to give a chance to the health care providers to explain their position. It is quite possible that the birth injury is not the result of their negligence. There could be other medical answers for the injuries as well. Therefore, a chance to both the parties is given to explain their stance, before taking any decision.
Claim advice for victims ofBirth Injuries.
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
Sunday, July 18th, 2010
It is becoming an increasingly growing trend to hire medical negligence lawyers, who prepare your cases and help you in claiming against your doctors and medical teams, who mistreated you during an injury or suggested you a wrong medicine, which had undesirable consequences. You should be extremely careful while hiring a medical negligence lawyer, as you surely do not want to get your case being processed by an immature lawyer, who can risk your position.
First of all, make sure that your medical negligence lawyer has a valid law practicing license, issued by the government, as there are many fake lawyers out there, who are just counting on to get your money and then run away.
If you have suffered from medical negligence, you should consider hiring a medical malpractice attorney to help you claim compensation for your losses. There are plenty of lawyers for you to choose from; however, it can be a bit tricky to find the best lawyer for your case. This article contains a few tips to help you understand how to hire the best medical negligence lawyer.
Firstly, make sure that the lawyers you choose actually specialize in the malpractice lawsuits similar to your state. This is not the time to choose someone who is not at all familiar with that area. Therefore, do not go for a lawyer who has not handled many malpractice cases.
Therefore, a good understanding of the medical practice must be there, so that you do not make worthless claims. Many people search for medical negligence lawyers to claim damages that are actually not the fault of the doctor. You need to be absolutely sure about the doctor being guilty before filing a case against him. Or else, seeking help from medical negligence lawyers will take you nowhere and will be pointless.
When you are perfectly sure that the doctor is fully responsible for the medical negligence, you should find a good lawyer to support your case. There are various things that you must consider before hiring a lawyer. Make sure that the time limit to file suit is not over. For instance, if you file a suit six months after the incident has occurred, the court would not accept the case.
Trust is the hardest thing to judge in a lawyer. No central lawyer directory can check as to which lawyers are trustworthy. Satisfied clients are the only method to evaluate the excellence of a law firm and the lawyers that work there. Check with the grievance committee if there were any disciplinary actions against that attorney. If a lawyer has never had a complaint then it does not mean that he or she is worthy of your trust. The best way out is to see the lawyer and judge for yourself. This will create a comfortable chemistry between you and your lawyer.
In short, hiring a medical negligence lawyer is very tricky and critical, as one wrong move can cost you a huge amount, which can be extremely hard for you to pay. Beware of all the fake lawyers who are sitting out there. Besides, make sure that your case is valid and you hire the right person after thorough research, which might be time consuming but can turn out to be extremely beneficial and rewarding for you in the end. A best medical negligence lawyer knows how to play his cards and win the game.
How to bring a claim for Medical Negligence.
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
Sunday, July 18th, 2010
The medical profession generally provides excellent health care facilities to patients. However, there are certain unfortunate incidents or cases that give rise to medical negligence. In case of medical negligence, there is the law that can be applied, but its application and the entire law procedure is quite complex.
The most considerable question is how to handle the medical negligence. Medical negligence is further divided into unprofessional or professional category. In professional medical negligence, health care providers or doctors commit this act by deviating from standard practices and hence, become cause of medical injuries. In unprofessional medical negligence, an individual is descending by causing and damaging healthcare to himself. This valuable article would confer about how to protect or defend medical negligence victims.
The victims of medical negligence can be safeguarded through consultation with competent solicitors and lawyers. The advice and help of the solicitor, along with the evidence of the injury from a specialist doctor, ensures that the victim gets the compensation and relief that he deserves. The analyzing skills and the expertise that a solicitor can provide, both in the field of law and medicine, is considered necessary for winning the case.
The emotional and physical pain of the victim can somewhat be relieved through the help of competent and helpful solicitors, who also insure that the victim is compensated against the costs and expenses of the trial. In this way, the victim does not have to pay a penny if he/she loses the case. There are many community legal advice centres and networks, which are working to safeguard, protect and help the victims to get the justice.
The lawyers are, most of the times, willing to give free and no obligation initial consultation. The victim gets to consult the lawyer on a trial basis. The events and circumstances leading to the case are discussed openly before the lawyers are finalized, and the case is filed. The initial assessment given by the lawyer is free to facilitate the victim.
There is no dearth of free online legal advice centres, which are catering to the needs of the people with legal problems. The legal matters regarding the medical negligence can be easily understood and accessed through internet.
Thus, medical malpractice claims are similar to ordinary negligence claims in that comparable elements apply to the cause of action. Laws passed in the recent decades, however, have made suing health care providers for medical negligence much more complex than other types of lawsuits.
Sometimes, even when there is a clear evidence of medical negligence, a suit may be inappropriate to file. This is due to the high costs of litigating medical malpractice cases. The affected people will find that the cost of litigation is much higher than the amount of damages award. The most important thing to remember is that medical malpractice litigation, are usually a very long, difficult process. One may find himself answering very personal questions during “interrogations” and at “depositions” (live testimony, taken under oath, often at an attorney’s office), which can be quite bothersome. The medical negligence case always has a probability that it may require months or even years to get resolved, so you should be prepared for it.
How to bring a claim for Medical Negligence.
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
Friday, July 16th, 2010
Cerebral palsy is an ailment that can be noticed in the early years of the life of a child. It is a disorder that includes many other diseases under its broader domain. All the ailments, related to cerebral palsy result in lack of control on movements. Cerebral palsy can become apparent before three years of age of a child. There are two main categories of cerebral palsy and there are many types under these two categories.
There are many visible signs of Cerebral Palsy, which include eating difficulties, digestive problems, learning disabilities, breathing problems, trouble in hearing, and problems with walking, posture and coordination. If one starts experiencing these signs, it is advised that they should seek medical help as soon as possible, as it might get late and hard to be cured.
Cerebral palsy can be categorized into two basic types. One is the Spastic pyramidal that involves increased muscle tone stiffness and jerky movements. The other type is the Dyskinetic Athetoid, which involves uncontrolled movements that are usually slow; balance and coordination is also highly affected.
The exact cause of cerebral palsy is still unknown, but many people think that this is caused at the time of birth, mainly due to the inadequate level of oxygen, which damages the brain and the rest of the body system. However, there are many researchers who are working day and night to find out the exact cause of this problem.
Immature infants sometimes develop serious respiratory problems due to immature and poorly developed lungs. This can result in decreased oxygen supply to the brain and consequently causes cerebral palsy. Other commonly occurring causes of cerebral palsy are found due to accidents of brain development, genetic disorders, stroke or infections of the brain. There are certain cases reported where child abuse during infancy is also found to cause significant brain damage which, in turn, can lead to cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy can also result from damage to brain in like through head injury or an accident. Another cause of cerebral palsy is medical negligence where doctors don’t provide standard care to the baby during or after birth.
There is no cure for Cerebral Palsy as no medicine or procedures have been identified to stop this disease. But, one should not lose hope, as medical experts are working to find some sort of cure for this lifelong problem. If the patient is suffering from speech problems or posture, doctors recommend different types of therapies, which might give a positive result.
In short, Cerebral Palsy is a disease which is not caused by some sort of virus or bacteria rather it is the malfunctioning of the body parts. So far, no cure has been found, but it is good for the patient if it is detected in the early years of life.
Find more aboutCerebral palsy here.
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Cerebral Palsy is a dreadful disease that requires children to struggle their entire lives. There is a variety of conditions that can be caused by Cerebral Palsy. Mostly, the children who suffer from Cerebral Palsy have problems in movement along with problems in speaking as well as eating. This is mainly caused because of the damaged nerves, bones, tendons and muscles.
Children, who are born with Cerebral Palsy, face many challenges that lie ahead in their lives. Although there is no cure for Cerebral Palsy, there are various ways in which children with Cerebral Palsy can be made to live their lives as normally as possible. These children have special needs that have to be addressed and fulfilled in the best way possible.
Cerebral palsy can be further divided into spastic (pyramidal), dyskinetic (extrapyramidal) and mixed. Spastic (pyramidal) includes muscle stiffness and jerky and awkward movements. Dyskinetic (extrapyramidal) includes coordination of movements and can be further divided into 2 sub-categories: athetoid and ataxic. The mixed type may include a mix of any of the above mentioned types.
There are different types of treatments for cerebral palsy, which are further discussed in this article. These are physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), speech-language pathology (S/L), physical, behavioural therapy, drug therapy, surgery and mechanical aids.
The physical therapy is aimed at helping the child develop strong muscles and help him in learning walk, sit and maintain his balance. The occupational therapy is aimed at developing fine motor skills of the child such as dressing, feeding, writing and other daily living tasks. The speech-language therapy is aimed at developing the communication skills of the child as he may have problems with his tongue muscles causing problems in speech.
There are many new treatments that are used on an experimental basis and then only the successful ones are used normally. One of the treatments that is new for Cerebral Palsy is the Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, which is also called SDR. So far, SDR is the only surgical procedure that is known to have the ability to provide a permanent reduction in the spasticity that is caused as a result of having Cerebral Palsy.
Speech therapy Children suffering from athenoid cerebral palsy frequently have problem pronouncing words and swallowing. Trouble in swallowing causes many problems like eating problems and drooling. Speech therapy is a means to improve swallowing and communication problem of patients with Cerebral Palsy. A speech therapist can also work with the child to learn the use of special communication devices such as computers.
Drug therapy is often carried out to control the seizures and to reduce abnormal movements in the patients of cerebral palsy. If the contractures are very severe, and they cause immense problems in movement, surgery is also done. The surgical procedures often involve the lengthening of the muscles or tendons, in case they are short than the normal. Chronic cerebellar stimulation and stereotaxic thalamotomy is included in experimental surgical techniques. These are used to stimulate certain cerebellar nerves. These are some f the treatments that are carried out to help the people cerebral palsy so that they can lead a better life and to reduce their dependency on other people. However, all these treatments are very time consuming, and they require a lot of patience from the patient as well as his family. These methods and techniques have so far been very successful to a great extent and for treating cerebral palsy.
Find more aboutCerebral palsy here.
Tags: Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, health insurance, Medical Negligence, NHS Complaints Posted in health insurance | No Comments »
|