Medical negligence claims could make patients wary of being treated in hospitals

Solicitors at Goodmans Law believe that the frequency with which medical negligence claims occur and are reported in the media could make patients wary of being treated in hospital.

Ian Cohen, Director and Head of Medical Negligence at Goodmans Law, commented:

"In most cases patients will receive exemplary treatment from GPs, surgeons, doctors and nurses, yet worryingly, there are still too many inconsistencies in the standard of care provided across different hospitals and regions, and this can damage confidence.

"When things do go wrong there can be serious consequences for patients and their families. In the worst cases we come across, patients have died as a result of medical negligence."

The West Midlands NHS trust alone incurs costs averaging 11 million pounds Sterling in medical negligence claims payouts each year and while this is certainly a burden on funds, Goodmans Law believes the victims of medical negligence deserve compensation, adding:

"If you are the victim of a medical negligence accident, particularly one that will have a profound impact on your future health and quality of life, you are entitled to be compensated. We believe that the NHS should be learning what it can from past mistakes and doing more to prevent these cases from happening."