Diabetes Medical Negligence Claims

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Diabetes is a serious medical condition which has been on the rise in the United Kingdom for some time. Although there are different forms of diabetes, the condition usually refers to someone having abnormally high blood sugar levels either because their body doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t respond properly to the insulin that it produces. As insulin is what converts sugar into energy, diabetes can cause serious health problems if left untreated.

Diabetes – watch for the symptoms

If you’ve had symptoms such as frequent urination, excess weight loss, fatigue or blurred vision, you may have been to see your doctor to be tested for diabetes. As diabetes can sometimes be difficult to diagnose, it is possible that you may have been incorrectly diagnosed. Similarly, it could be even more serious if your doctor misdiagnoses diabetes when you do not, in fact, have the condition as, when left untreated, it can result in conditions such as retinopathy, loss of vision and even impotence.

In some cases, even a delay in diagnosis can mean that your condition might worsen. In any of these situations, a patient may well have a legal claim against the doctor treating them. When we are unwell or think we may have a serious medical condition, we trust our doctors to make the right decisions and to diagnose and treat our conditions correctly. Where that has not happened as expected, our trust in the National Health Service is severely diminished and there could be serious long-term consequences for our health.

Diabetes, medical negligence and links to antipsychotic drugs

In addition to the direct issues listed above, a number of studies have recently linked certain antipsychotic drugs such as Seroquel, Zyprexa and Risperdal to blood sugar disorders such as hyperglycaemia and diabetes. If you have been taking antipsychotic medication or medication used to treat any form of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or any other form of mania disorder and have gone on to develop symptoms of diabetes, you should speak to one of our specialist medical negligence solicitors at your earliest convenience as it is possible that there may be a direct causal link between the medication and the onset of diabetes.

Diabetes and making a medical negligence claim

Speaking to a specialist medical negligence solicitor will allow you to find out whether or not there has been an instance of serious medical negligence in connection with your diabetes or incorrect diagnosis. If the solicitor deems that there may be a legal claim for compensation, he or she will be able to advise you as to the next steps to take in order to obtain justice. Diabetes is a serious medical condition and the ramifications of missed diagnoses, delays in diagnosis or issues caused by other medication should not be underestimated.

Diabetes – don’t delay your medical negligence claim

If you feel you may have been affected by any of the issues mentioned here, or have any other concerns regarding diabetes and the possibility of medical negligence, you should contact us as quickly as possible so that we can assess your case. In many situations, there is a time limit for bringing about a medical negligence compensation claim so it is really important that you contact us as soon as you can.

And don’t forget that we run medical negligence claims for compensation using no win no fee agreements – so there is no need to worry about how to pay your legal costs.

For FREE initial phone advice as well as a FREE no obligation first appointment with one of our claims team:

  • Call us now on (01722) 422300 or
  • Complete the  email contact form below

    Stoke Mandeville Hospital – 4 year-old, with a 98% probability of surviving on arrival, dies after Hospital made 28 blunders

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    With vomiting and diarrhoea, Oliver Blockley was given a 95% probability of survival when he was taken to hospital. Despite this, the four-year-old youngster died after Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire made a total of 28 blunders in managing his care.

    Medics incorrectly diagnosed the youngster with gastroenteritis, a stomach virus which antibiotics cannot manage, and as a consequence Oliver was not supplied with the drug that could have cured him. Oliver actually had an invasive form of sore throat bacteria called Strep A, which a simple blood test would have been able to pick up.

    Eventually dehydration set in as Oliver was not given important fluids. Septic shock took hold of his body, he turned grey, and he ultimately sustained a fatal cardiac arrest just hours after his arrival. Jennifer, his devastated mother, said she was at first “denied information” and told that Oliver had stomach bug and he would be all right. She learned later that her son had essentially a 95% possibility of surviving, had the medics acted quickly.

    As of 2013, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust was put into special measures. It has now apologised to the family and are poised to pay out a five figure compensation award, accepting 28 individual counts of negligence.

    When Ms Blockley took her son to Stoke Mandeville’s A&E departments in October 2011, she was originally told to return home to Thame, Oxfordshire, and to provide him with fluids. She adamantly believed that Oliver’s condition was more extreme and that he continued to stay at the hospital. Irrespective of blood tests disclosing that he was drastically dehydrated, and was heading for septic shock, doctors rejected the idea of administering antibiotics or give him fluids.

    A quick heart rate and fast breathing (symptoms of septic shock) were missed by the nurses and doctors during the course of the evening. In fact, Oliver was not monitored at all between 8 PM and 1 AM. Even though nurses noted his dilated pupils and grey colouring, doctors showed up too late and he died as a result of cardiac arrest. Only 30 minutes preceding his death did the doctors finally give him antibiotics. Following his death, nurses still kept to their story, informing Oliver’s mother that he had a tummy bug and not streptococcal.

    This is yet another upsetting scenario where the NHS simply did not accept their mistakes prior to legal action and a medical negligence claim being taken, putting the family through more stress in what was an already extremely distressing time. An independent expert review has been commissioned by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

    Looking for a UK clinical negligence claims solicitor? Call us now

    Here at Bonallack and Bishop, our team specialise in medical negligence compensation – and our medical solicitors offer FREE initial telephone advice, a FREE first appointment and no win no fee funding for all medical claims.

    • Call now on (01722) 422300 or

    • Fill out the contact form below for a call back at a time to suit you

      Bariatric Surgery Medical Negligence Claims

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      Bariatric surgery is a growth area of surgery both within the NHS and privately.  It is, of course, the ultimate in weight loss surgery. The general public views as the solution to continuous dieting, and being able to eat what it likes and being able to stay a size 8 forever.

      The reality is different.

      Obesity has always been a problem but with increasing socio-economic wealth, those of us who have a propensity for weight gain and over consumption now have the money to fuel the habit.  In the UK in 2011, 25% of the population were obese compared to just 8% back in 1983.

      The three main types of bariatric surgery –  gastric banding, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy – all of which are major operations.

      Patients who are morbidly obese have a high risk of complications with their bariatric surgery.  However, despite this, the work up to the surgery is, within the NHS at least, a multi-disciplinary approach involving anaesthetists, surgeons, dieticians and psychologists giving rise to a safer surgical procedure than one might expect. The risk of death from bariatric surgery is 0.1% compared to hip replacement surgery of 0.5% and surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm of 5%.

      Bariatric Surgery – the risk when surgeons are unregulated

      The main problem with bariatric surgery stems from the fact that the operations are frequently carried out within the largely unregulated private “cosmetic surgery” industry.  Not all surgeons within that industry are experienced in these particular procedures and this can bring complications arising after surgery,with problems which might not be recognised by an inexperienced surgeon or even a GP.

      The need for ongoing health care

      The nation’s concept of bariatric surgery is that it is a “quick fix” but it is far from that. The surgery is part of a planned an ongoing process to help the patient lose weight.

      A gastric band, for example  need to be tightened as the patient loses weight and his or her body gets smaller.

      The gastric sleeve procedure which gaining in popularity and starting to take over from the gastric band, is a permenant restrictive procedure. As well as leading to weight loss it seems to have the ability to resolve weight related diabetes.

      Gastric bypass surgery is good for patients with severe morbid obesity with the advantages of  excellent  weight loss and diabetic resolution. The downsides are a higher rate of complication at surgery and the need for the patient to have a lifetime prescription for vitamin B.

      Clinical negligence claims?

      The question has to be asked, why is bariatric surgery thought to be one of the next growth areas for medical negligence litigation?

      The first explanation is that the patients have high expectations. With the requirements for bariatric surgery on the NHS being a BMI of 40+,  or 35+ with other life reducing complications and a history of failure of success in any other weight reducing programme, bariatric surgery is a last resort. Images in the press of celebrities with perfect figures bring high expectations and when the result is not as expected, deep disappointment.  Most of us will  never look like Lily Allen during her recent performance at Glastonbury, with or without surgery!

      The pressing need for national standards

      There is also a problem with lack of national standards for cosmetic surgery. Bariatric surgery is as serious as the surgery which a patient with stomach or bowel cancer might face, but is carried out by clinics also offering Botox fillers and breast augmentation.  For me, that alone, spells potential disaster.

      Another problem is that patients do not realise that having bariatric surgery is not just having one operation followed by rapid weight loss.  The procedures require monitoring sometimes several times a year over a number of years.

      Getting a patient to comply with post-surgery monitoring is particularly difficult in a patient who has had his or her surgery privately.  Many popular cosmetic surgery companies offer “fixed price” surgery with prices coming in at approximately £10,000 for the surgery and immediate aftercare.  Longer term aftercare is not included in these packages and with private surgeons charging in the region of £200 per out patient’s appointment private patients do not want to pay to be followed up between 3 and 5 times per year.

      Private patients, therefore, can develop complications over a period of years which build up until the outcome is a disaster.

      Bariatric Surgery Complications?

      Whilst the published statistics for complications arising from bariatric surgery are small, the  potential complications are extremely serious and can take months to resolve, sometimes without a good recovery.

      Complications can also arise outside of the hospital setting. In one case I know of a GP saw a patient 7 days after Gastric bypass surgery thinking that the surgery undertaken was a gastric band. The GP was unaware of the significance of the differences in surgery and failed to refer the patient back to the hospital.  The patient, in fact suffered from a gastric leak from the site of the bypass surgery.  By the time this was diagnosed she had developed a fistula and required a 2 month stay in ICU.  She suffered from permanent symptoms thereafter.

      In another case, a very obese man suffered a perforation of his colon during his gastric bypass surgery. This was not picked up at the time of his original surgery and the delay resulted in him having to have an ileostomy for 6 months.  Sadly the attempts to reverse the ileostomy  were  not successful and he required a permanent stoma.

      So, the conclusion;  choose your procedure and your surgeon carefully, keep up with your aftercare and remember, prevention is always better than cure. If you are reading this whilst drinking your coffee; did you really need that Kit Kat (107 calories)?

      With credit to Mr Omar Khan for his case studies and research into the calorific value of Kit Kats!

      Thinking of making a Bariatric Surgery Claim?Contact us now

      Victim of Bariatric Surgery negligence? we can help. Our team have the necessary expertise to recover the compensation you deserve and will treat your medical negligence claim with sensitivity.

      • Call us on (01722) 422300 or
      • Complete the contact form below

        Bolam & Bolitho tests — How clinical negligence is assessed

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        If you have been treated unfairly or negligently by a doctor or other health care professional, you may feel that you are entitled to justice and possibly financial compensation. You wouldn’t be alone. It is for this reason that methods and procedures for assessing the impact of clinical negligence and liability have developed. Two such methods are the Bolam and Bolitho tests.Bolam & Bolitho tests — How clinical negligence is assessed

        Call or Email Us Now for Your FREE Specialist Medical Negligence Advice – free phone advice and a free first appointment. Call FREEPHONE 0800 1404544

        The Bolam test

        The Bolam test was first recognised in the case of Bolam vs Friern Hospital Management Committee.

        It states that if a doctor has acted according to proper and accepted practice, he is not guilty of medical negligence. That is to say that if there is a group which is of the opinion that the practice is wrong, it does not automatically mean that the doctor was acting negligently.

        It also states that the standards should be judged by one’s own peers — not the longest-serving doctor or the senior consultant, but those who work in the same field and are peers of the doctor in question.

        Likewise, the standard to which the case should be compared is that of an ordinary and competent doctor acting in everyday practice — not that of an idealised worldview or the ‘perfect’ doctor.

        The Bolitho test

        The Bolitho test, on the other hand, was first decided in the House of Lords. Put simply, it states that the defence could not be considered reasonable if the body of doctors or supporting witnesses were not capable of withstanding logical analysis. That is to say that simply providing a defence is not quite good enough, but that the defence and its body of opinion must be reasonable and responsible. A case which is defended based on a practice which is not reasonable or logical thus cannot be defended.

        Other tests and standards are also taken into account, such as those standardised by the Gregg vs Scott case, which was brought before the House of Lords in 2002. This states that negligence can only be proven in the case of a missed diagnosis if the chance of survival would have been over 50% had the illness been diagnosed. For example, if a case of cancer was not found, but the patient would have only had a 35% chance of survival anyway, negligence would not be found. If the patient would’ve had a 75% chance of survival had the diagnosis been made and treatment proceeded, then it would be decided that the doctor had been negligent.

        These are just a couple of the ways in which clinical negligence claims are assessed, based on previous cases and standards which have developed over the years. If you think you might have a claim for clinical negligence, you should speak to a specialist solicitor in order to seek further advice on the matter.

        Considering making a Clinical Negligence Claim? Call us now

        Our specialist medical negligence team we offer FREE initial advice on the phone and a FREE first appointment for all medical compensation claims.

        • Call us on (01722) 422300 or

        • Fill out the contact form below for a call back at a time to suit you

          Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital among 13 NHS trusts reporting alarming mortality rates

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          How mortality rates should be calculated is a hotly debated question in the medical world and Dr Foster’s latest reports will make sure that it remains to be. According to their latest findings 13 hospital trusts have recorded higher than expected mortality indicator scores –  and the results from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham give most cause for concern.

          These statistics are a key feature of Dr Foster’s annual reports on the subject; an NHS trust must fail in 2 or more of the following areas to be flagged up.

          • Deaths after surgery
          • Deaths in low-risk conditions
          • Site based HSMR [the hospital standardised mortality ratio]
          • Summary hospital-level mortality indicator

          The 13 poorly performing NHS trusts named

          Out of the 28 NHS hospital trusts that Dr Foster featured in their reports, the 13 who reported poor mortality scores were:

          • West Hertfordshire Hospitals Trust
          • United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust
          • University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trusts [which runs Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital]
          • East Sussex Healthcare Trust
          • Heart of England Foundation Trust
          • Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust
          • Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals Foundation Trust
          • Medway Foundation Trust
          • North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust
          • Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust
          • North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust

          The fact that 13 trusts returned higher than average results is alarming, but it is Birmingham Foundation Trusts results that will draw the most concern amongst medical governing bodies. They stand out as the worst amongst the 13, as they posted the worst failures in 3 of the 4 marking categories. On top of that none of the trusts listed above had a lower than expected rate in any of the areas judged. Dr Foster’s reports as a whole won’t make pleasant reading for NHS officials, especially at a time in which the organisation is under scrutiny.

          However the NHS has often questioned Dr Foster’s reports on mortality rates, with their reliability and accuracy being debatable. However, given the clear culture of refusing to admit mistakes that seems prevalent in the health service, a culture that has been clear displayed in the recent series of medical negligence scandals, and is very familiar to experienced medical negligence lawyers, this response and the NHS is hardly surprising .

          What’s more, a team led by Sir Bruce Keogh (NHS England medical director), has conducted their own investigation into the performance of 4 of the 13 trusts. The 4 trusts in question were:

          •  Medway Foundation Trust
          •  North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust
          • Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital Trust
          • United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

          As a further response to the concerning Dr Foster report, NHS England will be launching a study into mortality rates, avoidable deaths and how they relate to each other. Lord Darzi and Nick Black will be running the study, with many hoping that the results will provide the NHS with new measures based upon clinical case notes. Let’s hope that rather than arguing that the stats simply are not accurate, the NHS tries to ensure that all hospitals consistently adopt good medical practice – which the best hospitals have long taken on board, and which the highly reputable Dr Foster team at University College London identifies and promotes.

          Victim of medical negligence at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital? Call us now

          You should know that time limitation periods apply to medical negligence claims – so don’t delay getting in touch with us.

          For FREE initial advice from specialist Medical Negligence Solicitors you can rely on

          • Call us on (01722) 422300 or

          • Complete the contact form below

            Cowes Medical Negligence Solicitors

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            If you live in Cowes, or anywhere else on the Isle of Wight, and have been the victim of medical negligence, you must make your compensation claim within 3 years – if not, you risk losing your right to compensation entirely. To make such a medical claim, you really need a specialist medical negligence solicitor – unfortunately there are currently no such specialist solicitors anywhere on the Isle of Wight.

            Fortunately, our solicitors can help you.

            WHY CHOOSE A SPECIALIST MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITOR?

            Medical negligence claims are far from straightforward – in fact they involve one of the complex areas of law – not least because in addition to a complete understanding of the law and procedure involved, any solicitor dealing with medical negligence cases must understand how to interpret detailed medical records, reports, and x-rays – to find the evidence to support your claim.

            Medical negligence claims are different from any other accident or personal injury case – and to give you the best chance of winning the compensation you deserve, you really do need a specialist.

            BUT HOW CAN I TELL WHO IS A SPECIALIST?

            The best way of identifying a medical negligence specialist is membership of the two leading specialist legal panels for medical negligence solicitors ie

            • The Action against Medical Accidents solicitors panel

            • The Law Society Clinical Negligence solicitors panel

            There are over 100,000 solicitors currently registered in England and Wales – yet only a couple of hundred are on each of these panels – so you can be sure that when instructing a solicitor on either of these panels, you really have found a genuine specialist. Here at Bonallack and Bishop, we have members of both panels

            A third way of spotting a true specialist is whether or not the firm has been awarded a Specialist Quality Mark for Medical Negligence by the Legal Services Commission.

            As well as being members of both of these panels, our firm is one of just 120 law firms out of around 11,000 in the country to be awarded the LSC quality mark. Our team therefore has all the expertise to help you with your with medical negligence claim.

            HOW OUR TEAM CAN HELP YOU

            We are not a claims management company – but Bonallack and Bishop, long established firm with offices in Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset. Our medical negligence solicitors can help to take the pressure off you, allowing you to focus all of your energies on recovering from your injuries.

            Here are some of the ways that we can make the claims process easier:

            • We can visit you in Cowes, or anywhere on the island – at home or in hospital – if you cannot make it into the office at home or in hospital

            • We offer ‘no win no fee’ agreements – so you need not worry about the cost of legal fees when making your claim

            • Your first telephone consultation is FREE

            • Your first meeting with one of our team is FREE

            • In addition to face-to-face meetings, we are happy to take your instructions by email, phone or using video calls on Skype/ or Face Time

            CALL US FOR EXPERT MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIMS ADVICE

            Our medical negligence experts have helped people win many millions of pounds worth of compensation for injuries they have sustained following medical errors.

            To find out more about how we can help you, call us on 01722 422300, or

            Email us using the contact form below:

              Gillingham Medical Negligence

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              Fortunately, most medical care in the UK is excellent. However, like anyone else, medical staff do make mistakes – and if you have been the victim of a medical error, you may well be entitled to compensation for the pain, suffering and financial losses that you have suffered as a result.

              HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO INSTRUCT A SPECIALIST?

              To win your medical negligence claim your solicitor may need to read and understand hundreds of pages of medical pages and notes, consider your x-rays, review reports from independent medical negligence experts and produce enough evidence to support your case. This requires a detailed understanding of medicine as well as law – as a result, it is really important that the solicitor you instruct is a medical negligence expert.

              Unfortunately, there are currently no genuine medical negligence specialists in rural Dorset, left alone in Gillingham itself.

              However, here at Bonallack & Bishop, we can help you. Our specialist medical negligence team based in Salisbury regularly represent clients throughout Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset.

              In addition, we are one of only a handful of firms in the UK to be awarded the Legal Services Commission Specialist Quality Mark for Clinical Negligence [clinical negligence is just another term for medical negligence].

              HOW WE CAN HELP YOU

              •  Your first telephone consultation is FREE
              •  Your first meeting with one of our experts is also FREE
              •  We can run your medical negligence claim using a “no win no fee” agreement- so you don’t need to worry about your legal costs
              •  We can visit you at home in Gillingham or in the hospital anywhere in Dorset, Wiltshire or Hampshire if your injuries prevent you from travelling to see us

              MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM IN GILLINGHAM? CONTACT US NOW

              Don’t delay getting in touch with us – there are strict time limits for all medical negligence claims and if you leave it too long, you could lose your right to claim compensation entirely.

              • Call us now on 01722 422300 today for FREE initial phone consultation,
              • Or email us by completing the contact form at the bottom of the page

              Bonallack and Bishop,
              Rougemont House,
              Rougemont Close,
              Salisbury,
              Wiltshire,
              SP1 1LY

              There is free car parking for clients visiting our Salisbury office.

                Tameside Hospital and other NHS Trusts in special measures after care quality investigations

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                Update – Tameside Hospital fails again – In 2014, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 2014, interviewed almost 40,000 adults who attended Accident and Emergency departments

                The worst Accident and Emergency department in England and Wales was identified as Tameside Hospital Foundation Trust. The hospital was put into special measures over a year ago over rising concerns about high death rates and failures in care. Clearly the problems remain

                The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced that 11 hospital trusts will be put under special measures due to their poor performance whilst another three have been warned that they will joint the list if care quality does not drastically improve.

                A recent review found that that the issues at the hospital were so deep-rooted that serious and immediate action had to be taken. Bad management, problems with staffing and high death rates were revealed but Hunt stressed in his statement to the House of Commons that he believed the hospitals would improve. Updates on the hospitals will be made publicly available and the most dangerous procedures have been stopped for the time being.

                The 14 trusts were investigated after the Keogh review revealed that they had scored badly in terms of deaths in hospitals and deaths within 30 days of being released. The figures found at these hospitals were then compared with the statistics for trusts serving similar demographics

                This does not necessarily prove that medical errors are being made as was the case at Mid Staffordshire Hospital because the only way to prove that is to trawl through the notes of each and every patient. However, it shows that action must be taken and Mr Hunt has clearly seen the need to act quickly, highlighting some of the following problems found by investigators:

                • Overworked staff

                • Unanswered complaints

                • Inadequate staffing levels

                • Issues (such as an increase in the number of still births) not being reported to the hospital board

                • Lack of maintenance e.g. of operating theatres

                • Patients being left unattended in corridors for long periods

                The hospitals placed under special measures recorded the highest death rates over the last three years and given the uproar over the Stafford Hospital revelations the NHS had to act.

                The three hospitals under further investigation are:

                • The Colchester University NHS Foundation Trust

                • The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust

                • Blackpool Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

                The following 11 are now under special measures:

                • North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust

                • Medway NHS Foundation Trust.

                • Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

                • United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

                • Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

                • Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

                • Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

                • Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

                • Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

                • East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

                • George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

                The findings have been met with shock by the patient charity Action Against Medical Accidents. Frankly, the fact that the hospitals have only been investigated now is a travesty and should have happened 12 months ago. However, it is consistent with recent NHS efforts to try and hide failings which in turn has placed patients at risk and allowed bad practices to continue. Sadly, many people have lost their lives in the time it has taken for these hospitals to be properly investigated.

                For medical negligence advice from solicitors you can trust, call us now

                If you or a family member has been the victim of clinical negligence you deserve compensation for the pain suffering and financial loss you have endured. Our clinical negligence solicitors could help you claim, so:

                • For FREE initial advice, dial FREEPHONE 0800 1404544, or
                • Complete the contact form below.

                  Swanage Medical Negligence Solicitors

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                  Do you live in Swanage? Have you been the victim of a negligent medical professional? If you have suffered medical negligence and want to make a claim, you will need the expert advice of a specialist medical negligence solicitor to give yourself the best chances of winning the compensation you deserve. However, at the top of writing this blog there are no accredited specialist medical negligence solicitors working at any of the law firms in Swanage, so who can you turn to?

                  Our medical negligence solicitors are the accredited specialists you need and with offices in Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset, we are there to help you.

                  THE IMPORTANCE OF INSTRUCTING A MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SPECIALIST

                  To give you the best chance of being awarded the full amount of compensation you are entitled to, your chosen solicitor will need to have a good medical knowledge as well as complete familiarity with the laws relevant to medical negligence claims. The evidence used to support your cases will include complex medical issues and your solicitor will need experience and skill to understand and interpret your medical records and notes. Only a specialist medical negligence solicitors has these skills, which is why it is so important that you take the time to find a specialist.

                  HOW TO CHECK THAT YOUR SOLICITOR IS A SPECIALIST

                  Although many firms claim to have specialist medical solicitors, we have the accreditations to prove it. There are two key specialist legal panels in the field of medical negligence, and they are

                  o the Action against Medical Accidents Panel and

                  o the Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel

                  Both panels, only have a few hundred members nationwide – out of over 100,000 solicitors. Not only are our solicitors members of both of these panels but our firm is one of just 120 out of 11,000 in England and Wales to be awarded the Law Society Specialist Quality Mark for Clinical Negligence. That’s why you can rest assured that our team have the expertise you need.

                  WHY CHOOSE US FOR YOUR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM?

                  Our solicitors are vastly experienced in a wide range of medical negligence claims – including;

                  o GP negligence

                  o surgical errors

                  o delayed diagnosis

                  o mistakes in A and E

                  o pregnancy and birth injury claims

                  o prescription errors

                  WHAT WE OFFER

                  o When you call our experts you will receive a FREE initial phone consultation and your first face to face meeting is also FREE

                  o We can visit you at home or in your hospital if you are unable to travel

                  o You needn’t worry about legal costs either because we can pursue your claim under a ‘no win no fee’ agreement

                  THINKING OF A MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM? CONTACT US TODAY

                  If you’re thinking of making a claim for compensation following a medical error, you need to be aware that there are strict time limits. Contact our team today for FREE initial advice from specialist solicitors you can rely on.

                  • Call [01202] 834450 or
                  • Or email us using the form below.

                    The role of a barrister in your medical negligence claim

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                    In medical negligence compensation cases where a straightforward settlement is not obtainable a barrister with experience dealing with such cases will be required. Your solicitor will begin by sending a report detailing the conclusions and notes of any medical experts or other specialists who have been consulted on your case to counsel (the barrister).

                    It is crucial that this barrister has experience dealing with medical negligence claims because you could lose out on compensation if your barrister handles your case poorly. Fortunately, our firm has established good professional relationships with suitable barristers who would be well suited to handling your medical negligence claim.

                    Conferences with your barrister

                    After reviewing the paperwork for your case you and your solicitor along with any medical expert and the barrister will have a conference (the organisation of which can be tricky) either in person or via video-calling. Here, your expert will be questioned and the barrister will analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your claim and advise you accordingly on how to move forward. Having represented many victims of medical negligence in court before the barrister will be able to identify any parts of your claim which may be challenged by the other side and whether or not you have enough evidence.

                    Experts

                    In many cases the court will demand that the medical experts approached by both sides meet to compare notes on the case and reduce the issues to be ruled on if possible. With guidance from solicitors representing both sides, areas of agreement and disagreement will therefore be discovered. The medical experts will be tested on their evidence by the barrister and may need to alter their reports following the conference.

                    Moving forward with your claim

                    Having received your barrister’s opinion, your solicitor will be better placed to advise you on the likelihood of success for your claim. If you are found to have a strong claim with strong evidence, carrying your claim forward will be fairly straightforward. In some cases with weak evidence and a low value claim it will be advised that you drop your claim but in other cases with weak evidence and a strong claim you may simply be advised to push for a lower claim settlement.

                    Settlement

                    If you are in a position where the strength of your claim prevents the defendants from even contesting, your settlement will depend on negotiations between the two sides solicitors but you will be in a strong position. Where the other contests, your solicitor will want to know what evidence they have prior to opening negotiations. Your solicitor will tell you about any offers and ultimately when you settle and how much for will be your decision.

                    Call our experts for more information about the role of a barrister in the compensation claims process

                    If you are considering making a medical negligence compensation claim, it is crucial that you understand the role of a barrister in the claims process. For further information about the part they play, call one of our expert medical negligence solicitors – we’d be happy to help.

                    Call 01722 422300,

                    Or email us using the form below.