Can You Sue the NHS for Negligence?
Our Medical Negligence Lawyers offer a free consultation for victims of clinical negligence and medical accidents. Call us on 08000 488 777 or tell us what happened so we can provide you with expert legal advice at no cost to you.
NHS negligence often results in a lawsuit being filed. It is those negligence claims that result after errors and mistakes have occurred and have caused a patient extensive injury, or worse, death. A medical professional has a duty to provide each patient that he serves with the utmost in professionalism and safe and accurate care. Most of the time this happens, but mistakes can and do occur.
As the largest publicly funded healthcare system in England, the NHS offers a variety of services which include free emergency care to anyone who is in the country.
There are four things needed to file a negligence claim. Each of those four things must be proved in a court of law in order to win a lawsuit for negligence claims.
- First, it must be shown that it was the medical professional’s duty to look after the patient at the time.
- A breach of duty needed to happen. A breach occurs when the medical professional did not provide the level of care that was expected.
- The breach must also be responsible for the injury that has resulted.
- There must be damages caused to the patient.
It is with these four things that a lawsuit can develop.
To make a claim for negligence against a care provider, the person who has been injured or has suffered damages must act in a timely fashion. Talking to a solicitor quickly after an accident ensures that the time frame does not elapse, and all of the important information can be gathered when it is still fresh in the mind. Solicitors often offer patients a free consultation in which they can discuss the details of their case and learn whether or not they have a case. If so, the solicitor will start the case without any money needed. In fact, you don’t pay if they don’t win your case.
The NHS does all that they can to proven medical malpractice from occurring, but this does not mean that it is non-existent. Any patient who feels they have been injured as the result of inadequate medical care should be able to get satisfaction for the pain they have been caused. This includes lawsuits if and when the need arises. If a problem arises with your care within the NHS, do not be afraid to seek the justice that is deserved in the matter.