How To Make A GP Claim
There is nothing more important than your health. If you have experienced pain, suffering and financial damage due to a mistake made by a GP then you may be wondering if you can make a medical negligence claim. You will be asking yourself…
Can
The answer is yes. In fact, GP negligence is on the rise. You can make a GP claim when you have been harmed by sub-standard medical care by a GP.
Why Should I Claim?
Due to the severe implications on your health and well-being that can arise from medical negligence, it is your right to seek compensation for your injury. It may be that you want to make a GP claim for compensation for your injury, as a matter of principle or to try and inspire change and improve the care people receive. Chances are it will be all of these reasons.
When Can I Claim Medical Negligence against my GP?
Now that you know that you can make a claim against your GP, you need more information on when and how you go about making a medical negligence claim against your GP.
What exactly is GP Negligence?
In simple terms, GP Negligence is when the actions of the doctor who treated you fell below an acceptable standard.
Here are examples of GP Negligence:
- Misdiagnosis of a condition – occasionally illnesses can have similar symptoms which mean GPs may misdiagnose. If a late or incorrect diagnosis causes you harm then you can make a GP claim.
- Failure to diagnose – if your GP fails to diagnose your condition at all, causing you injury.
- Not sending you to a specialist – if you needed to see a specialist and your GP did not arrange this, then you can claim.
- Incorrect Treatment – if your GP gave you incorrect treatment you can make a GP claim
- Making a mistake during a procedure – if a mistake is made by your GP during a procedure you can claim
- Prescribing the wrong medication – if you are given the wrong drugs to treat your condition by your GP you can claim
- Not warning you about the risks of a treatment – if your GP doesn’t disclose the risks of a particular treatment that then causes you injury then you can claim
What can you claim compensation for?
If they are a result of your injury then you can claim compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical and nursing care costs
- Loss of earnings
- Cost of any extra care or special equipment you may require
- Psychiatric or psychological injury
- Costs involved in adapting your home
- Other expenses such as travel expenses incurred whilst receiving medical treatment.
What do I do next?
It’s good to discuss your options as soon as possible with a legal professional. You need to start your claim within three years from when the incident occurred or when you first realised you had suffered an injury.
Your solicitor will need to prove that you suffered an injury as a result of GP Negligence. Keep as much information as possible to help them out: make a note of dates and prescriptions relating to your treatment. If your earnings have been affected or you have incurred other expenses as a result of your injury then keep records of this too.
If you believe that you have been a victim of GP negligence then speak to one of our team of Medical Negligence specialists or arrange a face to face meeting.