Late or Inaccurate Diagnosis

Misdiagnosis Claim & Compensation

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors – No win no fee Late or Inaccurate Diagnosis Claims

“By the time I was sent for a scan and biopsy, the tumour had grown.”

The NHS has guidelines and targets for referring patients for diagnostic tests, such as biopsies, X-rays and scans.

There are also time limits and targets for referring patients to a consultant if an expert opinion is needed.

Suspected cancer patients have to be referred to a consultant within two weeks – while patients requiring further tests and scans may have to wait up to 18 weeks.

It is important that patients receive the correct diagnostic test and see an appropriate specialist according to the results. Delays in diagnosis or an inaccurate diagnosis can lead to patients developing more serious conditions, including cancers which spread – or in some cases not being treated at all if test results are lost or confused with diagnostic tests for another patient.

In A&E departments, there are also targets for assessing, diagnosing, treating and discharging or admitting patients – with most trusts having to achieve this for between 95% to 98% of patients.

The initial assessment in A&E is called triage and triage nurses in A&E take a medical history from walk-in patients. In the NHS, there is a national triage scale, with five grades of urgency for treating patients:

1. Immediate resuscitation (immediate)
2. Seriously ill (10 minutes)
3. Urgent but stable (60 minutes)
4. Standard and patients not in danger (120 minutes)
5. Non-urgent (240 minutes).

Because of pressures in A&E departments, diagnosis may be hurried – or a specialist or a hospital bed on a ward may not be available.

Duncan Lewis can advise patients who have suffered further injury as a result of late or inaccurate diagnosis from GPs, consultants or in A&E departments on how to make a no win no fee claim for compensation, including claims relating to:

• Cancer delays/inaccurate diagnosis
• Claims against paramedics
• Delays/Failure to refer patient for biopsies, X-rays and scans
• Delays/Failure to refer to a consultant
• Errors in taking patient record
• Failure to treat
• GP Negligence
• Misdiagnosis
• Wrong medical treatment.

Making Late or Inaccurate Diagnosis Claims

Patients who have suffered injury as a result of late or inaccurate diagnosis of a medical condition have three years from the date of injury or diagnosis of injury in which to make a no win no fee claim for compensation.

Children who have suffered further injury as a result of late or inaccurate diagnosis of a medical condition can make a compensation claim up to the age of 21.

In cases where a loved one has lost their life as a result of late or inaccurate diagnosis, Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors can advise bereaved families on how to make a no win no fee Fatal Injuries Claim.

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors – No win no fee Late or Inaccurate Diagnosis Claims

Duncan Lewis is one of the UK’s leading no win no fee law firms and can advise both NHS patients and private patients who have suffered late or inaccurate diagnosis on how to make a no win no fee compensation claim.

Because of the limitation period for making late or inaccurate diagnosis claims, Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors advise patients to get in touch to discuss making a claim as soon as possible.

Duncan Lewis can also advise the parents or guardian of a child injured as a result of late or inaccurate diagnosis on how to make a no win no fee compensation claim before the child is 21 by acting as their Litigation Friend.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Late or Inaccurate Diagnosis Claims, call Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors on 020 7923 4020.