How to Claim for Hospital Negligence
Understanding hospital negligence and how to put forward a claim is incredibly important, especially for those who have experienced hospital negligence or for those who are claiming on someone’s behalf.
While we have already created a blog explaining exactly what clinical negligence is, this blog will be for the purpose of explaining the claiming process in more detail, so you know exactly what it is you need to do.
The process for hospital negligence claims
While each claim can differ from person to person, here is an idea of what to expect from your claim and the process you should aim to adhere to.
If you are not happy with the care you received or you have questions regarding your treatment, it is a good idea to start with a formal letter of complaint to the executive chief director at the facility in which you received treatment.
When done properly, this letter triggers various protocols and rules, which means the hospital must conduct a formal and proper investigation into the complaint. They must also give a formal written response.
Due to the Duty of Candour that is imposed on the trust, the hospital must inform the patient if any evidence has been uncovered that reveals poor care has been administered or that there has been any wrongdoing
Having a letter of response containing such information can help hospital negligence solicitors to narrow down the issues and ensure the following investigations are targeted and effective.
Once this initial stage has been completed, a step by step medical negligence claim process begins as follows:
Instruction from client
We will listen to the specific instructions from the client, including hearing the evidence, to then make an initial assessment on the case to decide the best route.
Medical records
If not already done so, the client and the solicitor must work together to obtain any medical records belonging to the patient. These are considered crucial for understanding and strengthening the alleged negligence claims.
Health Insurance enquiries
Next, we can begin to make enquiries to the victim’s insurance companies. Some insurance policies such as house insurance policies contain legal expense