Solicitors Specialising in Female Medical Negligence Compensation Claims
Here in the UK, we are extremely lucky to benefit from the National Health Service. However, things do sometimes still go wrong. Medical negligence – also sometimes known as clinical negligence – encompasses a wide variety of problems and can cover every sort of medical treatment or problem. Have you suffered because of poor medical care or treatment? Are you thinking of making a woman’s medical negligence claim for compensation
Although our 4 offices are in Wiltshire and Hampshire, we do run medical negligence claims for clients living throughout most of southern England, including Somerset, Dorset, Berkshire and Gloucestershire.
FREE initial phone advice and a FREE initial interview is available for all medical negligence claims – so call us now FREEPHONE 0800 1404544 or locally on 01722 422300
Medical Negligence Affecting Female Patients
Of course, most types of medical negligence can apply to either sex, but equally, there are some types of clinical negligence which only apply to women patients. Here are some of the most common examples of problems causing women’s medical negligence claims:
- Problems in Pregnancy
Having a baby is one of the most important life events a woman will experience. If during pregnancy you feel that you have been treated negligently, it’s not just your health being affected, it’s that of your baby too.
There are many different issues that could constitute medical negligence in pregnancy such as failure to diagnose serious problems such as a ruptured uterus, pre-eclampsia, an ectopic pregnancy, diabetes and so on.
Missing these problems altogether, not treating them properly or only diagnosing them when it is too late can lead to problematic delivery and ongoing health problems for the baby.
Birth injuries are also sadly very common. Negligent care or treatment can also occur during the delivery of your baby, including failing to repair tears sustained during the birth or post-birth complications such as a haemorrhage.
Women who think they may have been negligently treated during pregnancy or childbirth should seek help from one of our specialist solicitors as a matter of urgency.
Click here to read more about making a birth injury claim.
- Gynaecological Issues
Female patients often don’t like to discuss gynaecological issues and it is certainly a sensitive subject. Gynaecology is a broad discipline and the main area where negligence can occur or mistakes can be made include surgical errors made during a termination or hysterectomy, problems with contraception, patients who contract an infection while in hospital, wrongly diagnosing cancers or complications after gynaecological surgery.
These sorts of problems can be split into two broad categories: failing to spot a gynaecological issue or diagnosing it wrongly, and negligent action by a medical professional which results in a gynaecological injury.
- Breast cancer misdiagnosis – see below
- Other Women’s Medical Issues
Other problems which primarily affect female patients are negligence during fertility treatment and botched breast implant surgery.
Making my Medical Negligence Claim
Perhaps you have been wrongly diagnosed or not given the full picture of your health. Did poor treatment lead to further illnesses, financial hardship or a worsening of your condition? Either way, if you think that you have suffered because of medical negligence at the hands of a professional, then don’t delay in making enquiries about a claim.
The law states that you have a time limit of three years from the date when you become aware that something has gone wrong to claim, so do not delay.
Find a solicitor who is a specialist in medical negligence claims – most solicitors will include this sort of information on their website, but if you are unsure do not be embarrassed to ask. It is very important that you feel comfortable with your solicitor as you will be discussing potentially intimate details with him or her. At a first meeting, the solicitor will take details of the incident and will advise whether you have a case for compensation.
If the solicitor believes you have a case, they will then start building the case by gathering information and evidence to support your case including things like medical notes from your family doctor and any hospital notes. Your notes will then be scrutinised by experts in that medical field and they will write a report detailing what sort of negligence they believe you have suffered.
If the case proceeds as planned, you will be awarded financial compensation which will allow you to pay for any ongoing medical treatment or care you need as a consequence of the negligence, as well as compensation for loss of earnings or pain and suffering.
Click here to read more about making a medical negligence claim.
Women’s Medical Negligence Claims – male or female solicitor available
Understandably, some women are more comfortable talking to another woman about such personal issues. Either way, our team includes both an experienced male and female solicitor handling medical negligence claims. So, the choice is yours.
Your medical negligence claim – don’t delay
If you have suffered from any of the problems discussed and you think you might have a case for compensation, get in touch with us right away.
Why? That’s because most medical negligence claims have to be commenced within three years, or within three years of you being aware of the negligence, act sooner rather than later. There are some exceptions for cases involving children, but speak to a solicitor to discuss your individual circumstances
We have a team of specialist solicitors who are happy to discuss your case with you, and your first phone call and consultation about any potential medical negligence claim are free – with no strings attached.
We can advise on the best way to move forward. Even if you are unsure whether or not you have the right to claim compensation, our team will be able to give advice and support.
Medical Negligence and Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK, with more than 46,000 new cases being diagnosed every year. 11,500 of those tragically die. most, though not all of them, are women. For some of these patients, their breast cancer should have been diagnosed more quickly.
Some of the most common situations which lead to someone claiming compensation for consultant or GP negligence for misdiagnosing breast cancer include:
• Not diagnosing breast cancer from the patient’s symptoms and signs
• Delays in a breast cancer diagnosis
• Missing a breast cancer diagnosis when interpreting results from a scan
When An Urgent Referral Is Appropriate
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides clear guidance to GPs about when they should arrange for a patient to be seen by a cancer specialist urgently. These include patients:
• Experiencing bloody discharge from nipples
• Who have had breast cancer in the past and who have discovered another lump or who have other symptoms
• Who have a distinct, separate, fixed and hard lump in the breast, either with or without skin dimpling
• Who are 30 or older and have a lump which is still there after their next period, or which appears after menopause
• Aged under 30 who have a lump which is getting bigger, or who have other factors associated with breast cancer such as a strong family history
• Who are men aged over 50, who find a firm lump in one breast, irrespective of changes in skin or the shape of the nipple
• Whose nipple shape has recently changed
Anyone falling into one of these categories should be seen by a specialist within two weeks.
Breast cancer – Medical Negligence and Delays
Just over 10% of all women will be affected by breast cancer, but the outlook for many is good. Breast cancer can be treated in many cases, but the chances of any patient making a full recovery are much higher when the cancer is diagnosed while it is still in the earliest stages. Any delay in diagnosing breast cancer can lead to its spreading. This means more radical treatment and can even prove fatal.
Early detection is why it is essential for GPs to pick up on the symptoms which could indicate breast cancer, and to refer patients to a specialist. If this is not done, both the diagnosis and the treatment will be delayed, which could have a huge effect on the patient’s opportunity for a full recovery.
Do I Have Grounds for a Claim?
The starting point for a claim for medical negligence compensation is experiencing standards of care that are lower than you would expect from a medical professional. Any failure to diagnose the condition as something else can seriously hamper the patient’s chances of recovery.
If your GP hasn’t recognised your symptoms as potential indicators of breast cancer you may also have grounds for a claim. Had he ordered a full examination, a diagnosis may have been made which reduces the patient’s suffering.
In some cases, being slow to diagnose breast cancer or diagnosing it as something else can give the cancer time to spread into other parts of the body such as the bones. Getting a delay in breast cancer diagnosis wrong can cause much unnecessary pain and in some cases could even be a death sentence.
So if you or someone close to you has suffered as a result of a slow diagnosis of breast cancer, get in touch with a solicitor as soon as you can. You may well have grounds for a claim for medical negligence. Any doctor who doesn’t pick up on the signs of breast cancer and who fails to order further investigations may well have fallen short of expected standards of care. If so, then you could certainly have grounds to make a claim for medical negligence compensation for cancer misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis.
Women’s Medical Negligence Claims – how we can help you
- We offer FREE phone advice and FREE first interviews for all medical negligence enquiries — without having to pay any legal fees.
- We run medical negligence claims on ‘no win no fee‘ agreements – so you won’t have to worry about paying your legal bills.
Click here to read more about no win no fee agreements - Home and hospital are always available for anyone who can’t travel to see us.
Just remember that given the time limits on these kind of negligence claims, it’s best to act as soon as you can. Get in touch with our team today.
