Type 2 Diabetes Negligence
June 18, 2021
Type 2 Diabetes is a serious condition where the insulin your pancreas makes does not work properly, or your pancreas cannot make enough insulin. This means your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels keep rising. Examples of type 2 diabetes negligence include mistaking the symptoms for another condition, causing a delay or misdiagnosis, and delayed treatment through lack of referral or follow-up.
According to Diabetes UK, some of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
- Going to the toilet a lot, especially at night.
- Being really thirsty.
- Feeling more tired than usual.
- Losing weight without trying to.
- Genital itching or thrush.
- Blurred eyesight
- Increased hunger.
Around 90% of people with diabetes in the UK have type 2. It is serious condition and can be lifelong. However, unlike with type 1 Diabetes, type 2 can be put into remission. Remission is when your HbA1c — a measure of long-term blood glucose levels — remains below 48mmol/mol or 6.5% for at least six months.
Type 2 Diabetes Negligence
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can develop more slowly than the symptoms of type 1 diabetes, making the condition harder to spot. This causes many people to not notice their symptoms until their diabetes has progressed. However, if you do notice the symptoms and a doctor fails to spot the red flags, then they may misdiagnose the condition.
Delays in diagnosis and misdiagnosis are two of the most common types of type 2 diabetes negligence that we hear at The Medical Negligence Experts. Some other examples of type 1 diabetes negligence include:
- Mistaking the symptoms for another condition
- Delayed treatment
- Lack of referral
- Misreading test results
Effects of diabetes can lead to kidney failure, amputation, brain damage, blindness, heart attack, and stroke. If left untreated, diabetes can have severe health implications and can even cause death.
Claiming Type 2 Diabetes Negligence on Behalf of a Child
If a child suffers type 2 diabetes negligence, then a parent or guardian may be able to claim for them. Any compensation received is put into a special fund or trust for the child to access when they turn 18. Or managed by trustees to cover the cost of caring for a child with a disability sustained as the result of negligence.
Usually in medical negligence cases, there is a three-year time limit from when the negligence happened, or when you were aware of the negligence to make a claim. However, this is not the case if a child suffers medical negligence. In that case, a parent or guardian can make a claim on their behalf until they turn 18, and after that, they have until they turn 21 to make a claim for themselves.
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 type 2 diabetes negligence. Contact us today by filling in our contact form. Or call us on 01614138761 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisors.