A & E negligence could involve a variety of situations involving diagnosis, treatment and post-care.
- Mistakes made during a diagnosis could include:
- Failure to check a patient’s medical history
- Mistakes made when examining a patient, leading to the misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of a condition or illness. Conditions often misdiagnosed include: strokes, meningitis, aortic aneurysm, Cauda Equina Syndrome, gall stones, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, hernias, compartment syndrome, and fractures, including Scaphoid fractures
- Failure to refer a patient on to a specialist stroke team for acute treatment
- Not carrying out or requesting the correct tests eg. x-rays, blood tests, scans
- Mistakes made when reviewing results of x-rays and other tests
- Failing to admit patients when further monitoring or emergency care should have been arranged
- Treatment errors in A & E could include:
- Incorrect treatment or medication given to a patient
- Failure to monitor symptoms and deterioration in condition
- Failure to fully treat wounds resulting in infection and further treatment required
- Not operating on a patient, not operating in time or mistakes made during emergency surgery
- Negligent care after surgery or treatment
- Negligent care in A & E could include:
- A patient being dropped by paramedics or injured in a fall eg. from a bed or wheelchair
- Failure to ensure a patient attends follow up care
If you believe that you or a loved one may have received negligent A & E care and treatment, you may be able to make an A & E compensation claim.
