The NHS have announced that they are ready to trial a blood test which has been developed by Californian firm, Grail. This blood test has the potential to identify over 50 forms of cancer by detecting molecular changes in the blood caused by cancer in...
Covid-19, also commonly referred to as coronavirus, is a new strain of a large family of viruses which affects your lungs and airways. The main symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
As the strain is new, there is currently no vaccine. There is a race across the world to find an effective vaccine as soon as possible.
Can I still bring a claim against the NHS whilst the pandemic is still prevalent?
In short, yes. Coronavirus does not exempt doctors from medical negligence claims.
Understandably, the occurrence of the pandemic has turned life as we know it completely on its head and we have all had to adapt. We have great admiration for the National Health Service and those working in the medical profession who work tirelessly to treat patients who have contracted the virus and research, understand and learn the effects of this new disease.
However, other illnesses and diseases aren’t aware that the world is suffering a crisis and people are still developing cancers, suffering strokes, heart attacks and having accidents which necessitate urgent medical treatment.
At the height of the pandemic, many people who would have ordinarily attended hospital or sought advice from their GP about medical conditions have resisted from doing so. Whether that be out of fear of attending a hospital and risking contracting the virus or not to add to the burden of the NHS.
As people are now starting to seek medical treatment, they should be able to expect the same standard of care they would have done prior to the pandemic. A misdiagnosis of a condition cannot be excused because the country is dealing with coronavirus.
At Stephensons, we have been assisting victims and families involved in medical accidents for many decades and are specialists in identifying cases which are negligent. If you have suffered due to a medical mistake, a delay in diagnosis of a condition or poor treatment then you should have the freedom to choose whether to investigate a claim.
It is important to understand that the compensation paid out in such claims does not come from the same “pot” which funds medical treatment, research or pays for the salaries of the medical professionals.