If a Bristol hospital did not diagnose and treat your necrotising fasciitis in a reasonable amount of time, please get in touch with our solicitors. The same applies if your loved one was subject to a substandard level of necrotising fasciitis care.
Whatever the circumstances of the alleged negligence, we will be able to tell you whether you have grounds for a claim.
Should a hospital be able to diagnose necrotising fasciitis?
Necrotising fasciitis is not a common condition and there is no simple test to diagnose it. Even so, it will cause the typical symptoms of infection, including fever and pain. The presence of an intense pain with no obvious cause is particularly concerning and should prompt investigation.
Blood, urine and other tests can be undertaken to aid a diagnosis. However, the only way to obtain a definitive diagnosis is to perform a surgical exploration of the soft tissues, during which signs of infection will become evident. Most notably necrotising fasciitis will cause murky ‘dishwater’ fluid inside the tissue which indicate tissue necrosis.
Therefore a hospital should be able to diagnose necrotising fasciitis. While the precise diagnosis may not be immediately evident, it should not take long to arrange surgical exploration and discover the soft tissue infection. Surgical exploration should be thought necessary due to a patient’s symptoms, which will broadly suggest some form of infection.
What do I do if a hospital fails to diagnose necrotising fasciitis?
If a hospital fails to diagnose and treat necrotising fasciitis is a reasonable amount of time, you should contact a solicitor to discuss your next steps. You can do this whether the incident related to you or your loved one (such as a parent, child, spouse or other family member).
A solicitor will tell you what your options are. This might involve complaining directly to the hospital or the Ombudsman. If there has been a breach in the duty of care by medical professionals, you will be advised that you are entitled to pursue a medical negligence claim. This will enable you to claim compensation for the terrible injuries you have wrongfully endured. These injuries encompass your physical, psychological and financial injuries.
Talk to a solicitor about your claim
To talk to a solicitor about your experience in hospital, please get in touch with our expert team of medical negligence lawyers. We offer professional legal advice completely free of charge.
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Call us now on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Free Online Enquiry.
