Misdiagnosis/Delayed Diagnosis
We all know that Doctors are only human and make mistakes especially with limited resources and long working hours. Unfortunately this can lead to a delay in diagnosis or an incorrect diagnosis being made.
Common areas of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis include:
• All types of cancer – advances in medicine now mean that most cancers are treatable but this is reliant on a prompt diagnosis and a prompt treatment plan being initiated.
• Misdiagnosis by a GP over a long period of time or a delay in diagnosis. This type of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis delays a referral to the correct specialist for the patient to start receiving treatment. This can affect the patient’s chances of recovery.
• Misdiagnosis in an A & E department by failing to read an x-ray correctly or at all. This is most common with missed fractures which can lead to a significantly worse outcome.
• Delayed diagnosis in an A & E department when treatment is critical by failing to respond to test results, an abnormal observation or refer to a specialist for treatment promptly.
This is not an exhaustive list and there are many other types of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. Unfortunately these delays can result in serious injuries or death.
To make a medical negligence claim for misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, the treatment received or failed to be provided must have caused further injury, pain and suffering. In addition, we must also prove, usually with the assistance of expert evidence, that no other reasonably competent doctor would have made the misdiagnosis or caused the delay in diagnosis.
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