Haematology is the specialist area of medicine which is concerned with blood disorders. As blood contains three types of cells which serve different functions, it’s important that haematologists give the right blood cells to a patient. If a mistake is made or the appropriate treatment isn’t given, major health problems can occur.

Blood is made up of red cells, white cells and platelets. Red cells take oxygen away from the lungs to be used in all parts of the body. There is also a protein found in red blood cells, known as haemoglobin. If a patient has less red blood cells than they should have, then they could be anaemic, i.e. Have an iron deficiency. Anaemia could make a patient’s body more susceptible to infections or diseases, so doctors need to ensure that any signs of infection are diagnosed and treated.

White blood cells provide the antibodies which allow your body to fight infection while providing you with immunity against diseases. If these cells are lacking, then there is a higher risk of a patient getting an infection, as their body can’t fight it off. A haematologist will be aware of this and understand how to treat any underlying problems so they can be diagnosed and treated.

Platelets are small fragments of cells which stick against any damaged blood cells and help your blood to clot so that you can stop bleeding. If there’s a problem and your blood doesn’t clot however, this can result in either excessive bleeding or blood that’s too thick and causes clots within the body.

A haematologist should be aware of whether blood is clotting normally in a patient, and it’s a haematologist’s responsibility to ensure they determine the cause and receive appropriate treatment once it’s started.

As the care and treatment of blood disorder problems is so complex, it’s important that a haematologist or health care professional take extra care to treat an individual accordingly. Mistakes can happen and any drugs given have to be monitored so as to prevent ‘over treating’ the medical condition.

If you or a loved one believe that you have suffered negligence in your treatment for a blood disorder problem, then our expert medical negligence team can give you the legal advice and peace of mind you need to seek the compensation that you deserve.