Hospitals are there to take care of you. They are meant to help you get over your health concerns and to aid your recovery. They are not meant to cause a decline in your health or worsen any condition you’re dealing with.
However, that’s exactly what happens in far too many cases.
Hospital negligence takes a huge toll on your life: physically, emotionally and financially. But you don’t have to deal with it alone.
Avoidable mistakes can be hospital negligence
The healthcare professionals who work in hospitals aren’t perfect and mistakes can – and do – happen. These can occur at any point in your treatment, from being admitted to the hospital to surgery to follow-up treatment.
Errors can involve the administrative aspects of hospital work – such as losing or mixing up medical records – to the actual treatment, including surgery and medication. These can have varying impacts, from minimal to life-changing.
But if they were avoidable mistakes, they share one thing in common: they are all considered hospital negligence. And this is something you can take action about.
How you might be affected by negligence
If you have suffered hospital negligence, you may have been affected by any of the following:
- Doctors not investigating your complaint effectively
- Not considering your medical history
- Not examining you properly
- Not interpreting investigations properly
- Not taking note of all symptoms
You may also have been affected by being prescribed the wrong medication or the wrong dosage – which then means your actual condition is not being treated properly and you’re taking drugs that could potentially have an adverse effect on your health.
There is also the possibility that you will suffer from surgical errors, including damage to nerves or organs and post-operative infection. A delayed surgery or substandard treatment and after-care following an operation is also a risk.
You could also be affected by certain hospital infections, such as MRSA and C. difficile. These can be fatal if not treated quickly and effectively. They can also leave patients with compromised immune systems, therefore leaving a life-long impact on the sufferer.
As well as the obvious physical effects these issues can have, they can also result in psychological and emotional impacts. After suffering from medical negligence of this sort, you could find that you are anxious when having to deal with medical professionals. If you’re afraid of seeking out medical help again, this could then mean that any further healthcare problems you face in your future may not receive the treatment required to help you recover. This could leave you susceptible to further conditions.
What to do after suffering from this kind of negligence
The most important thing to do after suffering from hospital negligence is to take care of your health. The best way of getting yourself back on your feet is to get your medical conditions treated – both the initial health issue you reported and any resulting problem following the negligence you suffered.
When it comes to your recovery, you could also benefit from some support. This could be from your friends and family or through specialist support groups in your local area. Try an online search to find other sufferers of what you’ve been through. They will have a deeper understanding of what you’ve experienced and could help provide you with a few pointers on how to better deal with things, giving you a better chance of overcoming it.
If a support group isn’t going to be enough to help you through, you may benefit from professional help. Medical malpractice is a distressing event and you may end up suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Counselling or therapeutic help could boost your chances of recovering emotionally.
Legal assistance may also help you get past the experience of the negligence you have suffered. Finding the right lawyer to take action against the hospital responsible could take a weight off your shoulders. They will manage any legal case you begin, helping to secure you the compensation you’re entitled to for what you’ve been through.
Whatever form of negligence you have been subjected to by a hospital, you don’t have to face it alone. Support is available, so you will have others on your side if you choose to.
