A Guide To Claiming Compensation For GP Negligence

GPs are meant to be there for everyone. Whether you are old or young. In need of regular treatment or rarely visiting. The level of care from a GP should never change for anyone. When the level of care drops below the standard you should receive, it can leave patients with life long effects and can even be fatal for some.

This is where our specialist solicitors can help, if you have suffered from GP Negligence then you may be entitled to compensation.

In this guide we will explain what constitutes negligence from a GP, the differences between types of negligence claims and what to do if you are a victim of negligence from your GP.

At NHS Negligence Claim we offer free, no obligation assessments with our advisors to help you see if you have a claim for the medical negligence you may have suffered. Suing the NHS is considered a difficult task but with the right guides through the process we can assure the task is less daunting than it initially seems.

What is Medical Negligence?

Medical Negligence is when the standard of care provided by a specialist is significantly below the level of it should be and has caused an injury or a condition to worsen. There are a number of ways this can occur for a patient. Below are a few examples.

MISDIAGNOSIS:

This is when a diagnosis has not been given or an incorrect diagnosis has been given over a period of time even though the symptoms of the diagnosis were presented throughout.

FAILURE TO WARN OF RISKS:

Medical Professionals have a duty of care to warn and alert patients of all the risks and side effects that may come with treatment they require. If you can prove you have not been warned of either of these you may be entitled to GP Negligence Compensation.

MEDICATION NEGLECT:

General Practitioners prescribe a considerable amount of medication across the UK to patients in need. Sometimes incorrect doses of medication in general can be prescribed which can cause long lasting side effects or even become fatal.

FAILURE TO REFER:

If you are suffering from a severe condition which requires surgery or you need to be assisted via a specialist within the area of your condition then your referral can sometimes dictate how well you are treated. Delays or even failure to refer patients can be considered traumatic. You could be entitled to NHS compensation if the condition has worsened.

These are but a few examples of Medical Negligence however there are many more you should be aware of that happen every day to people across the UK.

WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES DO GPS HAVE?

General Practitioners have a duty of care to all patients they see day-to-day. The main duty of care is to protect and prevent patients from any harm being caused upon them. Patients trust the practitioner to provide a legally acceptable standard of care and it should not drop below this standard. What should you do if this standard of care drops below an acceptable standard?

• Issue a complaint?
• Make others aware of this?
• Bring forward an NHS Claim?

It is recommended that you do all 3 of the above if you feel you have suffered from a GP failure to deliver their duty of care.

When speaking with your GP in a consultation they must:

• Carefully listen to what a patient is explaining.
• Make notes of the patient’s medical conditions.
• Identify warning signs of a condition developing or recognize an existing condition worsening.
• Ask questions to clearly understand a patient’s health problem.
• Take action by providing the correct treatment, referring to a hospital or advising the patient on how they can resolve the issue independently.

HOW DO I KNOW IF THIS IS ME?

If you have been left with an injury or a condition that has worsened and this has been caused by failings from your GP or the NHS in general then this may be as a result of neglect you have suffered from. Bringing forward compensation claims can seem like a uphill battle at times but with the right people to help with this process it makes it that much easier to do. Find out if you can claim NHS Compensation today by contacting us on 0800 999 3372. Our specialist team are more than happy to assist with any NHS Clinical Negligence you may have suffered from.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CLAIM AND A COMPLAINT?

A common mistake many make is the difference between complaints and claims. The list compiled below may help to distinguish the differences.

CLAIMS

• You have 3 years to bring forward a claim from when you suffered an injury due to negligence or from when you were made aware of the negligence. (If occurring when a minor the 3 year period starts from the claimers 18th birthday)
• If claims are successful you will receive compensation based upon the impact the medical negligence has left upon yourself (or others if the case is regarding someone deceased)
• Claims are carried out on behalf of the victim via a lawyer, solicitor or paralegal who specialises within clinical negligence.

COMPLAINTS

• There is no time limit to bring forward a complaint regarding an incident or event someone may be unhappy or have concerns regarding.
• If a complaint is carried out there is no compensation issued, complaints are kept on file and used to help with improving performances of staff members and effectiveness of procedures.
• Complaints are brought through complaint services situated within GP surgeries.

If you have suffered from negligence through your GP and are looking for GP Negligence Solicitors then submit an enquiry to ourselves today and one of our specialist advisors can assist you with your claim.

HOW MUCH IS MY CLAIM WORTH?

The value of a claim changes regarding the type of case. There are factors that can impact the amount of compensation you receive such as the severity of the injury sustained, the impact the injury has had on day-to-day leading up to you recognising the negligence and the last effects it may have on yourself in the future. Settlements of an NHS Claim can range from £1,000 right through to the most severe cases of medical malpractice of a medical professional being worth upwards of £10 million. No one should ever be left suffering in silence and that is why we are here to help with bringing forward GP Negligence Claims. Contact us on 0800 999 3372 or submit an online enquiry today.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I CAN CLAIM?

If the following criteria applies to your case then you might be entitled to bring forward a NHS Claim for compensation:

Negligence

You are providing an example with evidence that showcases that your GP has presented a level of care which falls below the acceptable standard of care. A sensible body of medical opinion will determine whether your GP has taken action negligently using a test known as the Bolam principle.

Causation

A direct connection between the injury you suffered and failure to maintain an acceptable standard of care by your GP leading to the injury suffered needs to be visible. This will help to determine whether the injury you have sustained would have been parallel to that of what you would have sustained if the correct standard of care was provided.

HOW LONG DO CLAIMS TAKE?

Every claim is different which means there is no set amount of time it takes to complete any case. The time it takes to bring forward GP Negligence Claims are based on a number of different factors. A collection of these being:

• The severity of the injury
• The impact of your life the injury has
• The time to recover from the injury
• Whether defending parties accept liability or decline liability

No matter how long a case is ongoing for all cases for NHS Clinical Negligence are carried out under a No Win, No Fee basis for yourself. This means there will be no financial risk when bringing forward a claim for GP Negligence Compensation

HOW DO I BRING FORWARD A CLAIM?

Bringing forward a claim can be a difficult task and sometimes leave victims of negligence wondering How To Sue The NHS. The main thing you need to do is contact a GP Negligence Solicitor who is experienced in assisting you with your case.

Not every case is the same and this sometimes requires a little bit of extra help understanding which solicitor you require. We are ready to help! At nhsnegligeneclaim.com we help victims of NHS Negligence Claim every day. We are here to assist with finding you the best solicitor to take forward your claim and have the best chance of a successful case.

When contacting our specialist team we carry out a Free No Obligation Assessment to see if you are eligible to bring forward a claim for your GP Negligence. From here advice will be given regarding next steps on the case and the chances of the claim being successful.

You can contact our specialist team by calling us directly on 0800 999 3372 or submitting a web enquiry