Many of us visit the doctor if we are feeling unwell, or feel anxious about a certain condition. It is expected, that once the situation is explained to the doctor, that our matter will be looked into, and diagnosed accurately. As we are unlikely to have much medical knowledge ourselves, we especially trust our doctor’s advice, with little or no second thought. We should trust our doctors, as in the majority of cases, the correct diagnosis is made. Doctors normally scan patient’s test results and establish an effective course of treatment. Nevertheless, doctors have been known to make serious errors in judgement and in some cases to the detriment of their patient.

What are the types of misdiagnosis that can happen?

Mixing up medical records

Failure to diagnose a condition or illness (such as cancer)

Medical records being mixed up

Failure to respond to test results

The doctor could potentially be held liable for medical negligence, if they fail to respond to test results or misinterpret them, a patient is owed a duty of care by their doctor, and expect that they will be diagnosed properly. They also expect that the necessary tests taken will be examined properly to establish what is wrong with them. In some cases, the doctor’s error does not prove to be catastrophic for the patient, as the case was relatively minor. However, in other cases the careless mistake can prove to be far more dangerous for the patient, and have devastating consequences. For example in cases where the early signs of cancer are left unspotted and treated. A patient’s lifespan could be greatly reduced as a result of that one mistake. On the flip side, some doctors make the mistake of misdiagnosing the patient with cancer, causing unnecessary pain and anguish.

How do you make a medical compensation claim for misdiagnosis?

A surprising large number of people report incidents of misdiagnosis and treatment in hospitals every year. For the lucky few, a careless mistake on the part of the doctor does not prove to be detrimental as the condition was relatively minor. However, in more serious cases, the error can prove to be more fatal. In making a claim, there will be a number of factors that will be considered. As clinical negligence cases are quite complex the main question that will be asked will be, what would the outcome have been had the patient received the correct diagnosis initially?

According to English Law, the real test is whether earlier treatment had a better than 50% chance of succeeding. As this test is quite strict, it can produce some unpleasant results. However, if you wish to make a claim, and can prove that you have suffered pain and suffering as a result of the misdiagnosis, you may be entitled to claim for compensation. Our expert clinical negligence solicitors will assess your case on its own merit, and inform you of the best way to handle your case.