Nobody likes waiting around. When it comes to getting diagnosed for a medical illness or condition, time spent waiting could be the difference between a smooth recovery and long-term implications.
In most cases, a delayed diagnosis is down to human error. Regardless of the cause, you could be entitled to compensation if you received a delayed diagnosis. Dealing with a health condition or illness can be enough of a challenge without having to worry about legal proceedings. You don’t have to face it alone, as legal experts can guide you through the process.
What Constitutes a Delayed Diagnosis?
Sometimes, it can take a little while for a concrete medical diagnosis to be given to a patient. This could be due to difficulty identifying a condition or illness, or it could have something to do with over stretched healthcare workers. But, how do you know when a diagnosis has been delayed? How long is too long to wait?
There isn’t a set-in-stone number of days or weeks before a diagnosis is considered delayed. Simply, a late diagnosis is where a medical professional fails to identify a condition or illness until it has advanced.
Unfortunately, many illness which, if spotted and treated early on, are highly treatable become more difficult to treat after a prolonged period. The healing process can be significantly hindered by a delay, and the welfare and lifestyle of a patient can suffer considerably.
Common conditions and illnesses which are diagnosed after a delay are cancer, heart disease, bone breaks or fractures, diabetes, and infections.
Common Causes of a Delayed Diagnosis
As mentioned previously, human error makes up for the majority of cases of delayed diagnoses. We rely and depend upon healthcare workers, and often forget they are also human.
Errors of judgment could come down symptoms not presenting clearly. The warnings signs that medical professions look out for in illnesses or conditions may not always be apparent. Or, it could be difficult to distinguish conditions from one another, in certain cases, if the symptoms appear similar.
A lack of adequate time spent assessing patients could also contribute to a delayed diagnosis. In the UK, the average appointment time with a GP is 10 minutes. According to a 2017 study, this was much shorter than many other European countries, like Portugal, where appointment time is closer to 16-20 minutes. Medical professionals aiming to meet demanding targets may be forced to spend less time with patients assessing their condition. Sadly, this can lead to failure to notice certain symptoms.
Delayed diagnoses can also come as a result of late treatment. Patients can begin treatment and discover that the condition medical professionals thought they had is something else entirely.
Using treatment to narrow down possibilities helps to progress towards a correct diagnosis. Healthcare services in the UK are experiencing a significant backlog of patients awaiting treatment, as a result of the pandemic. According to the NHS backlog data analysis, 7 million people were awaiting treatment as of August 2022. Increased wait times for treatment makes delayed diagnosis a gloomy possibility.
What Should You Do About a Delayed Diagnosis?
If you believe you received a delayed diagnosis, you don’t need to suffer in silence. There are a few things you can do if you believe your diagnosis was delayed.First of all, you should write a letter to the medical professional you believe should have diagnosed you sooner. This could be your GP, or a consultant at a hospital. In this letter, make a note of all the appointments and consultations you had together, including points where you feel a correct diagnosis could have been given.
Naturally, it can be difficult to remember all of this information off the top of your head. If you don’t have a record of the dates yourself, you can request them by accessing your medical records. Everyone is entitled to their medical records. Simply request them from your surgery or hospital. Having correct details, such as appointment dates and times, will help build your case.
You can seek legal assistance if you’re making a case for a delayed diagnosis. Having an illness or condition diagnosed late can cause physical pain, emotional distress, and can result in a loss of earnings. These are all things you could be entitled to compensation for.
JMR Can Help with a Delayed Diagnosis
Based in Manchester, JMR Solicitors is a law office full of legal experts who are on hand to help with your delayed diagnosis. Get advice on how to proceed with your claim, as well as information to help strengthen your case.
Taking a flexible approach to suit your needs, we endeavour to get the best possible result every time. With your best interests at heart, the entire legal process will be made as stress free as possible by us.
For more information, call 0161 491 3933, or email info@jmrsolicitors.co.uk to speak with a member of our team.