Delays in Diagnosis

Delays in Diagnosis

When you are ill, it is imperative that you get the correct treatment as quickly as possible. This can stop your condition developing or getting worse. A diagnosis is important in this, and delays in diagnosis can mean that your condition deteriorates or becomes incurable.

Where there has been an unnecessary delay in making a diagnosis and your condition has become worse as a result, you may be entitled to make a delay in diagnosis claim.

What Causes Delays in Diagnosis?

There are many reasons for delays in diagnosis, and they can happen at any stage; from you presenting the symptoms through to the eventual correct diagnosis. Some examples of reasons for delays in diagnosis include:

• Failing to spot symptoms
• Ignoring symptoms
• Failing to test patients
• Not taking patients seriously
• Incorrect or misread test results
• Misdiagnosis
• Failing to refer patients for further tests

If any of these happen to you, then the results can be devastating. Delays in diagnosis can cause conditions to become harder to treat, or in the worst cases, conditions can be incurable.

Some of the most common conditions that involve delays in diagnosis are cancer, fractures and breaks, strokes, Cauda Equina syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.

Types of Delays in Diagnosis

Two common types of delays in diagnosis happen in GP surgeries and accident & emergency departments.

If a GP fails to identify symptoms of a serious medical condition, illness or infection, this means the conditions are left untreated, and as a result the GP has been negligent. This is often common with cancer patients, as symptoms can be overlooked or assumed to be an alternative illness.

When A&E becomes extremely busy, doctors may struggle to manage the high volume of patients and as a result some cases may be slightly overlooked. Human error is common, and there has been cases of doctors discharging patients from hospital with serious illnesses, infections, and broken bones.

Examples can include not referring a patient for appropriate tests, such as an X-ray or scan, not recognising the critical nature of a patient’s condition leading to delaying their treatment and a worsening of their health, or causing a delay in treatment, or not escalating necessary treatment, if a patient’s condition worsens.

A&E is where some of the most critical and urgent cases receive primary medical attention. If there is a delay in treating someone whose condition could worsen rapidly, the doctors or nurses could be deemed negligent for not honouring the duty of care they have for patients.

Claiming on Behalf of Someone Else

It may be the case that you have to make delays in diagnosis claims on behalf of someone else. If someone dies, then their next of kin may be able to make the claim for them. We know that when a family member dies due to their condition, claiming compensation may be the last thing on your mind. However, the solicitors we work with can help with any financial stress that you may be under after the death of a loved one.

How We Can Help

Here at The Medical Negligence Experts we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with medical negligence claims. This includes delays in diagnosis. Contact us today by filling in our contact form. Or call us on 01614138761 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable agents.

Am I eligible?

Did you suffer a physical injury in the last 3 years* due to someone else’s negligence? If so, you could be eligible.

*Usually, you have three years to make a claim i.e., 3 years from the date of the injury or when you (the claimant) first became aware of the injury, whichever is later. There are some circumstances where the ‘limitation period’ differs. If a claimant lacks the mental capacity to make a claim, the time period doesn’t begin until capacity is regained. In other exceptional cases, the court can extend the limitation period. If the claimant is a child, the limitation period does not begin until they have turned 18. This is non-exhaustive.

How much could I claim?

As every case of medical negligence is different, the amount of compensation paid out can differ case to case. Varying factors that lead to the final figure include the extent of your injuries, loss of earnings, future losses and more.

How does the process work?

We understand that when making a claim it’s important to know what to expect and when to expect it. That’s why we make the process as transparent & clear as possible.

Contact us today to start your delay in diagnosis claim.