Hospital Negligence Claims

What is Hospital Negligence?

Hospital Negligence is legal speak for errors or accidents caused by hospital staff that result in an injury or make existing conditions worse. This area is also known as Medical Negligence.

Hospital Negligence can leave lasting physical and psychological effects. Common examples include incorrect or delayed treatment, surgical errors, and misdiagnosis, all of which can happen in NHS and private hospitals.

In England and Wales, everybody has the right to an acceptable standard of hospital care. Medical professionals deal with a huge number of appointments, treatments and emergency visits, handling most of them without problems. But if something goes wrong, and you or a loved one suffers as a result, the consequences can be life-changing.

Making a Hospital Negligence claim could help you start to recover. Our specialists could help you secure financial compensation and once the hospital trust has admitted responsibility, we can get interim payments to arrange the best support and rehabilitation available.

Missed or delayed diagnosis in Hospitals

Managing and diagnosing infections, such as sepsis or Meningitis, is a key responsibility of the hospital and the implications of a missed or delayed diagnosis, can have very serious consequences and you could claim compensation for Hospital Negligence.

How Common are Hospital Negligence Cases?

Unfortunately, Hospital Negligence cases are common and can happen in any department. According to NHS Resolution’s 2019-20 annual report, the NHS received 11,682 Medical Negligence claims over the year.

What is a Hospital-Acquired Infection and What Causes Them?

Hospital-acquired infections are those that people pick up in hospital and didn’t have before going in. They can be caused or spread by a failure to properly clean hospital equipment, and severe cases can be life-threatening.

Can I Sue a Hospital for Negligence?

We mostly go to hospital expecting to leave feeling better. But mistakes happen, and standards of care aren’t always met. If you’ve been harmed by something a medical professional did or failed to do, you could take legal action.

Your suffering could be immediately obvious or only noticeable over time. Whatever your situation, our Hospital Negligence Solicitors can help you understand whether you could claim compensation and will explain your options moving forward. Speak to our friendly team today for a Free Claims Assessment.

While compensation can’t erase what happened, it could bring a sense of closure and help you enjoy the best quality of life possible in the future. And by holding a hospital or individual to account, making a successful claim could prevent similar situations happening to other people.  

You can also take legal action on behalf of loved ones including:

• Someone who doesn’t have capacity to make a claim themselves, because of a neurological condition or brain injury for example
• Someone who died because of Hospital Negligence
• Children under the age of 18

Can I Sue for Medical Negligence at a Private Hospital?

You can make Hospital Negligence claims against private healthcare providers as well as NHS hospitals. All doctors registered with the General Medical Council have a duty of care to you and must meet certain professional standards, no matter who they work for.

How do you Claim for Hospital Negligence?

Proving Hospital Negligence can be difficult. You’ll need to show that your treatment fell below acceptable medical standards and directly caused your injury or illness.

Even if you’re not sure if you have a claim, it’s best to speak to our legal specialists as soon as possible. We offer a Free Claims Assessment where we’ll learn more about your situation and tell you if we think you have grounds to make a claim.

If we do, we’ll talk you through your options and next steps. This initial chat comes with no cost or obligation. It’s totally up to you whether you take your case further.   

How Much Compensation Can I Claim for Hospital Negligence?

It’s a common question, but because every case is different, there’s no easy answer. But you can rest assured that our Hospital Negligence Solicitors will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

We’ll talk through what happened and work to establish the impact Hospital Negligence has had, and could have, on your life. That could include:

• Pain and suffering, including psychological harm
• The loss of past or future earnings. You may have been forced to take time off, look for a different job or perhaps never work again
• Any adjustments to your home or vehicle because of your injuries
• The cost of any care, treatment and extra equipment
• Travel expenses to treatment and appointments

Compensation for Hospital Negligence can help you rebuild your life by easing financial pressure and allowing you access to care you may need in the future. If the NHS Trust or private hospital admits responsibility, we’ll ask for an interim payment. They are sums of compensation paid upfront so you can pay for rehabilitation, treatment or any immediate costs you’re facing.

What is the Hospital Negligence Claim Time Limit?

You’ll usually have up to three years from either the time a hospital error happened or when you first became aware of.

There are some notable exceptions when claiming on behalf of others.

• If claiming on behalf of a child, the 3-year limit starts from their 18th birthday
• If you’re claiming for someone without mental capacity, the 3-year time limit may not apply

Whatever your situation, it’s best to speak to our legal experts as soon as possible.

Hospital Negligence cases can be complex and getting early legal advice improves the chances of collecting the accurate evidence we need to make your claim successful.

How Long Do Hospital Negligence Claims Take?

It depends on how complex your Hospital Negligence claim is.

If it’s obvious what happened and the hospital or NHS Trust admits responsibility, known as liability, it could be wrapped up within two years. But if the evidence is difficult to get or the hospital disputes your claim, the process could take longer.

You could get interim payments to ease financial pressure while your case is ongoing if the hospital admits responsibility. We can give you a better estimate of how long everything could take once we learn more about your case, so speak to our team today.

Who Pays Compensation for Hospital Negligence?

You don’t need to worry about your compensation coming directly out of a hospital’s budget. Whether you claim against an NHS or private hospital, the costs will be covered as part of their indemnity scheme.

NHS Hospital Negligence claims are handled by NHS Resolution. This is the body who handle medical negligence claims. Private hospitals will have their own liability insurance to cover negligence claims.  

What is the average compensation for medical malpractice in the United Kingdom?

According to NHS Resolution, a dispute resolution organisation, the typical NHS negligence payment is believed to be roughly £50,000. An NHS negligence lawsuit is unlikely to be precisely the same amongst individuals, just as every medical issue manifests differently from one person to the next.