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If you believe you have been the victim of negligence by a GP, a doctor, a midwife or any other medical professional, you could be entitled to compensation and our highly skilled medical negligence solicitors are perfectly positioned to help you win the compensation that you deserve. For free initial guidance on your options speak to a legal advisor on 01616 966 229.
By working with a wide range of highly skilled medical practitioners we can prepare detailed evidence and obtain strong medical insight to support your injury claim. Since our expert solicitors have years of experience in the field, they are not only knowledgeable of the intricacies of the area, they are also sensitive to the needs of the victim and can provide advice to cope with their situation and make the legal process as simple as possible.
Claims against medical professionals are designed to provide compensation for the victims of medical negligence and this sum of compensation covers the pain and suffering caused by medical negligence and also caters to the ongoing treatment of the patient and any financial loss caused by their accident, including an inability to work.
To enquire about claims against medical professionals, call us on 01616 966 229 for free initial guidance on your options without obligation.
Your General Practitioner, or GP, is who you often turn to first when you are unwell or need medication. Most of the time, the advice and treatment they provide is appropriate and you are able to continue with your everyday life. Occasionally, however, treatment provided by GPs fall below the high standard that we expect.
The most striking examples of GP failure is when a doctor has failed to properly take into account their patient’s symptoms, has incorrectly diagnosed them and has failed to refer them on to hospital for further tests, scans or treatment. These failures can lead to a delay in diagnosis of conditions such as cancer, serious infections or fractures. Sadly, the delay can often have a negative impact on a patient’s recovery or even their survival. If this is the case, a claim can be brought against the GP.
Some minor procedures, such as the removal of moles, podiatry treatment and the insertion of contraceptive implants are undertaken by GPs. For all of these procedures, an informed consent must be obtained from the patient, the correct instruments must be used which must be sterile and in line with infection control guidelines and they must, of course, be performed to a reasonable standard. If not and an injury is caused, the patient may have a clinical negligence claim against their GP.
All GPs practising in England and Wales must have indemnity insurance in place in respect of claims made against them as any clinical negligence claim is made against them as an individual and not usually the practice where they work. This is different to claims made against doctors working in NHS Trusts.
We have been successful in a vast number of claims against GPs. We work with a number of highly experienced GP experts who provide their opinion on the treatment and advice our clients have received. If you would like to speak to a member of the team about pursuing a claim against a GP call us on 01616 966 229 for some free initial guidance on your options without obligation.
Areas of specialism
Whilst many of us turn to our GP as our first point of call when we are feeling unwell, sometimes it isn’t possible to see them quickly enough or the surgery may be closed, so instead a lot of us access our local walk in centre for treatment and advice.
Most walk in centres are able to deal with minor injuries and ailments such as infections, fractures, minor burns and dressing changes, so it is a local and convenient alternative to attending A & E when your GP is unable to assist.
As walk in centres deal with a wide range of issues, they employ a variety of specialisms to ensure patients receive the care they need. So whilst you are there, you may be treated by a GP, nurse practitioner or a radiographer. For the most part, the treatment you will receive will be appropriate but unfortunately there are occasions when the treatment or advice may be incorrect or not to the standard required.
Examples of this may include misdiagnosis, failure to refer and incorrect treatment.
You may be diagnosed with a sprain to your ankle after a fall and are advised to rest it at home and take pain killers when in fact you have suffered a fracture and need your ankle putting in a cast or even surgery to repair the fracture.
It may be that your condition is more serious than the walk in centre staff realise. For example you may be attending for dressing changes to a wound and it is not recognised that the wound is deteriorating and you need medical intervention at hospital.
This usually arises when a misdiagnosis has been made. However an example is being prescribed the wrong medication which then causes your condition to deteriorate or prolongs your period of recovery.
Walk in centres are now managed by Clinical Commissioning Groups, who are part of the NHS system. The NHS provides insurance so that if a patient suffers an injury, there is money available to compensate him or her for that injury and other associated losses such as loss of earnings due to not being able to work. We have been successful in pursuing a number of claims against walk in centres for our clients over the years. In doing so, it is important for us that we do not just get you the compensation you deserve for your injury but also compensation for other losses, such as lost earnings due to not being able to work, treatment costs you may have paid out privately or will need in the future and even the cost of being looked after by family members.
If you would like to speak to a member of the team about pursuing a claim against a walk in centre call us on 01616 966 229 for free initial guidance without obligation. Alternatively you can send our clinical negligence team an email via our contact form.
Many of us will attend our opticians once a year to get an eye test and to see if we need new glasses or lenses. Some people will see their opticians less frequently, but they can often be a first point of contact if you feel that something is wrong with your eyes.
You will be aware if you have been for an eye test recently, that there are now a number of tests that opticians carry out to assess the health of your eyes, as well as establishing whether you need glasses.
These tests allow eye conditions to be picked up early and treated, hopefully without there being any affect to your eyesight.
In most instances, opticians carry out appropriate and essential assessments, care and treatment that result in your eyesight being as good as it can be for as long as possible, even if you do need to wear glasses or lenses to help you to see!
However, problems can occur if opticians do not carry out the assessments appropriately, fail to make diagnoses, or make misdiagnoses and fail to refer patients for specialist opinions.
Common types of claims against opticians are:
Any damage to your eyes can have a great impact on your life and can mean that you have to make significant changes, for example changing your job or obtaining aids and equipment.
If you feel that you or a loved one has not received appropriate care or treatment from an optician, then contact our specialist clinical negligence team who are experts in these types of claims and will be able to provide you with advice on a claim for compensation. Call us on 01616 966 229 for free initial guidance on your options.
Physiotherapy or physio, helps people to improve their range of movement in order to promote health and well-being and recover use of their muscles and tendons.
Physiotherapists help people of all ages who have physical problems that are caused by illness, accident, or ageing. They concentrate on problems that affect muscles, bones, the heart, circulation and lungs.
A physiotherapist must be fully aware of a patient’s individual complications before devising a suitable course of treatment. This can involve a combination of manipulation, massage and exercise and will ultimately aim to relieve pain and restore range of movement. However, physiotherapists are often overstretched, their resources are tight. Unfortunately, there are times when the actions or inactions of a physiotherapist actually cause a patient to suffer further injury. This may arise if a physio:
If a physiotherapist does provide treatment that exacerbates a patient’s condition, this will cause significant trauma – not only physically, but also emotionally and financially. Their negligence may prolong recovery time, or even cause irreparable damage.
If a physiotherapist had caused your health condition to deteriorate, you will understandably be feeling angry and upset about the poor standard of treatment you received. However, there may be something you can do to recompense for your pain and suffering, as you may be entitled to make a claim.
If you think you have grounds for a physiotherapy negligence claim, simply call Stephensons for advice from one of our experienced legal advisors. After a short consultation, we will be able to advise whether or not you have been the victim of a substandard level of care. If so, you will be able to claim compensation for the injuries you have sustained. To enquire about a physiotherapy negligence claim, call us on 01616 966 229 and enjoy free initial no obligation legal advice or send us an email via our contact form. If you have suffered injury due to physiotherapy malpractice or inadequate care, you could be entitled to compensation and our highly skilled clinical negligence solicitors are ready to act on your behalf.
Chiropractors diagnose, treat and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system and look at their effect on your spine. They will usually conduct a detailed assessment and then manipulate parts of your spine or your joints. The manipulation is designed to treat chronic and acute conditions, by using the body’s natural healing process and does not include surgery or drugs.
There is good evidence that chiropractic treatment in conjunction with other treatments can help to relieve migraines, headaches, tinnitus and neck pain, and research is continuing to establish whether the treatment relieves period pain, asthma or high blood pressure. There is little evidence that treatment specifically cures any of these symptoms.
Chiropractors must be registered with The General Chiropractic Council, and are obliged to have insurance to cover claims made against them.
Serious complications can occur during or after treatment, and are generally rare but can include a herniated disc, worsening of a pre-existing herniated disc, severe worsening of tinnitus, cauda equina syndrome, or potentially also a stroke.
Negligence usually occurs when the chiropractor has failed to assess your symptoms and medical history prior to commencing treatment, and has caused an injury, or exacerbated a pre-existing condition. The outcome may be permanent.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team about a chiropractic compensation claim due to medical negligence call us on 01616 966 229 or complete our online enquiry form and we will contact you directly.
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