If you’ve been mistreated or let down by the medical sector, seeking justice may be daunting. However, it’s important to ensure that any medical professional is held accountable for their actions.

With the right help, it’s possible to pursue legal action and achieve the justice you seek. Here, you’ll discover the importance of taking legal action and how the procedure works.

Why consider legal action?

When you need medical treatment, you’re putting your health and potentially even your life, in the professional’s hands. Therefore, if you don’t receive the right quality of treatment, it’s important that you report it. Failing to do so could mean the medical professional could go on to make further mistakes or misjudgements with other patients.

Legally, you have a right to receive the very best level of care. If a public or private healthcare professional isn’t delivering this, it is your duty to take a stand. You could also be eligible for compensation, whether the mistreatment affected you or a loved one.  

Negligence claims in the public and private sector

It doesn’t matter whether the problems you’ve experienced relate to the NHS or private health sector, you can still make a claim. If you’ve experienced an issue with a private doctor, you’ll make a claim against them personally. If the issue is with an NHS doctor, you’ll instead make a claim against the NHS itself. The only exception to this, would be if you experienced an issue with an NHS GP. In this case, you’d make a claim against the GP personally.

The main thing to remember about negligence claims is that they are only used to seek compensation. You won’t be able to change how the hospital or clinic works, or see disciplinary action taken against the medical professional involved.

Will you need to go to trial?

With most medical negligence claims, the case doesn’t usually make it to trial. This is because the majority of hospitals and healthcare professionals prefer to clear up the matter before it gets to court. However, you’ll still need a good lawyer to help you with the claim, which can be expensive.

If you’ve suffered because of a medical error, it’s important to seek justice. Not only to claim compensation for yourself or a loved one, but to prevent it from happening to others. The legal process can be complex, which is why it is recommended you hire an experienced medical negligence lawyer.