Over recent months we have seen an increase in wait times in A&Es throughout the country.
This has only increased in recent weeks and it has now been reported that the wait times have deteriorated so much over the winter that more than half of patients have had to wait over four hours[1]. Some of the highest wait times throughout the country are in Hull, Hereford, Shrewsbury and Telford and West Yorkshire.
NHS England have announced that plans have been and are continuing to be put in place to support Trust’s most effected by the surge in patients. This doesn’t appear to have transpired into the A&E departments as of yet given the increased wait times.
Patients are suffering as a result of these increased waiting times. It has been reported that a patient spent 15 hours on a trolley within an A&E department corridor in pain due to a broken hip[2].
A&E departments being at full capacity has a knock-on effect to ambulance workers and so on. Ambulances are having to wait longer outside A&E when handing patients over, resulting in less ambulances being on the roads attending to other patients in a poor condition.
Where there are delays, this may result in care being compromised so that practitioners are able to see more patients within a certain timeframe. As a result, patients may receive a misdiagnosis or there may be a failure to diagnose and treat certain conditions.
What does this mean for patient’s across the country?
The NHS is reported to be ‘in crisis[3]’ and with the decline in funding over recent years, this is likely going to continue to decline given these recent reports. Recent media has shown the detrimental impacts the delays are having on patients across the country.
Patient’s throughout the country, whether they are dealing with life-threatening or non life-threatening conditions, will suffer as a result. This might be by way of misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose or failure to treat certain conditions.
Why make a clinical negligence claim?
Healthcare professionals have a duty of care to their patients and a responsibility to provide prompt and effective treatment. If you consider that you have suffered as a result of the increased delays throughout the NHS, you may be entitled to compensation.
Oakwood Solicitors have a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years’ experience dealing with medical negligence claims. If you believe or feel that you have a claim, you can contact the team on 0113 200 9720 for an initial consultation regarding your options and obtain some free legal advice.
Further reading
Medical misdiagnosis or delay – Oakwood Solicitors
Sources:
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64629144
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63890726
[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64190440
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9720 to find out how we can help you with your enquiry.
Over recent months we have seen an increase in wait times in A&Es throughout the country. This has only increased in recent weeks and it has now been reported that the wait times have deteriorated so much over the winter that more than half of patients have had to wait over four hours[1]. Some…
Negligent surgical procedures – Client case studies
Here are two recent medical Negligence client case studies regarding negligent surgical procedures, complete with their awarded compensation amounts and a client testimonial.
…
View
Medical Negligence Team – Case Studies Showcase
Here is a collection of recent case studies from our Medical Negligence department, showcasing not only the variety of matters they help to resolve, but also the figure awarded to the client upon …
View
What is Medical Negligence?
Medical negligence covers a broad range of incidents arising as a result of a doctors error or omission. This can include other medical professionals such as dentists, opticians etc.
…
View
