Why Medical Negligence Risks Need to be Addressed
Network NewsMedical negligence claims frequently make news headlines, with claimants seeking compensation for erroneous administration of medicines, failing to make the right surgical choice, lack of care within procedures, and a host of other things.
In high-pressured medical environments and in under-stress care homes, there is always the risk that errors of judgement and mistakes in delivering medical care will occur. Other allegations could relate to a breach of professional duty or negligence in monitoring a patient or reporting on their situation.
Insurers say that medical negligence claims are driven by awareness of the public’s rights to claim, should things go wrong, but also pressures within society, which can lead to claims being brought, even when there is no case to answer, because patients or their relatives are suffering from high levels of stress and other mental health issues.
As the UK is said to be suffering a mental health crisis, with a backlog in the mental health care system because of the pandemic, this point is very relevant.
At other times, a claim can be based on a subjective view of what has occurred, such as a relative’s opinion as to whether a care home should have called a doctor in to review a patient earlier than they did.
Whatever your field of medical care, your professional actions, diagnoses and opinions will always be under scrutiny, whether you are administering eye or dental care, as an optician or dentist, making up prescriptions, offering consultancy within the private medical system or running a care home.
The public has a level of expectation when it comes to care and, if you do not live up to it, you can be judged even if that is unfair.
Any allegation of medical negligence may result in a costly legal case, requiring payment for top-level legal representation and many other costs besides. This is where having the right medical negligence insurance in place is so important, as it can cover much of the expense involved and can include access to knowledgeable defence lawyers.
Such medical malpractice cover can be tailored to an individual practitioner or business and particular situations. It can also assist the insured by providing access to risk management tools that can help prevent cases being brought, by covering some key loopholes. Prevention can often be better than cure.
Other covers can also be added to the medical negligence cover, to help create a package of insurance for the medical service provider, which covers many areas, including cyber risk and, employment practice liability. Cover may also enable you to access top crisis PR support, should an allegation be brought, as that could harm your, or your business’s reputation.
To help deal with a medical negligence claim be prepared for such an eventuality and have the right protection in place, so that you can defend yourself or your business and let the facts be the deciding factor in the case’s outcome. Without the back-up of insurance, you may not be able to do that.
Talk to an insurance broker about this today and put your professional protection on a sounder footing.
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