A&E negligence compensation claims - accident and emergency

Life and death decisions

Accident and emergency wards are a cornerstone of NHS critical care facilities. The decisions made and treatment given in an A&E ward can often be the difference between life and death. A&E wards take priority in budgeting but the pressure to deliver quality medical care to all patients is considerable. Unexpected events such as road traffic accidents or fires can suddenly increase the volume of patients and can present very complex medical challenges.

However, patients in A&E wards are still entitled to the high standards of care that medical professionals are held to under English law. This is because medical personnel in A&E wards should be specially trained to deal with the increased pressures of the role and should not be permitted to practice in A&E if they are not fully capable of maintaining standards under pressure. Therefore, if you are the victim of medical malpractice in an A&E ward you may be able to claim compensation for any loss or injury that has resulted from the clinical negligence of the responsible medical professionals.

Types of A&E negligence compensation claims

Some of the ways that medical professionals in A&E wards can cause loss or injury to patients through negligence are:

• Inexperience - Practical training is a vital part of the training of every medical professional. However, this benefit must not come at the cost of patient health. Junior medical personnel should be carefully monitored to ensure they are meeting standards and they should not be given tasks or responsibilities which are too difficult to perform under pressure.
• Delay - A&E wards will treat the most serious of injuries, so time is of the essence. Injuries and illnesses must be diagnosed and treated reasonably quickly in order to give the best chance of recovery. Delays in diagnosis or treatment are often causes of injuries or illnesses becoming worse and in some cases have caused preventable deaths. If the delays in your diagnosis or treatment were negligent you may be able to recover compensation for the pain, suffering and other loss caused to you as a result.
• Misdiagnosis - Injuries and illnesses can be difficult to identify at the best of times, and even more so when the responsible medical professional is under pressure in an A&E ward. However, A&E medical personnel are specially trained to maintain accuracy of diagnosis even under the pressures that can be experienced in an A&E ward. If it is found that the medical professional who was responsible for treating you in A&E failed to diagnose an illness or injury when they should have done so then you may be able to recover compensation for the loss caused as a result.

For expert advice call us on 01616 966 229 and speak to a member of our clinical negligence team to discuss your compensation claim today. Alternatively you can send our clinical negligence team an email via our contact form.