We're here to help if you've experienced negligence
Receiving a diagnosis for cancer can be the most shocking and upsetting experience of somebody's life.
Everyone who visits a hospital has the right to receive a high standard of medical treatment. But when you're suffering from cancer, you absolutely need the highest level of care and attention to give you the best possible chance of making a recovery and stopping the cancer changing your life.
Most of the time you'll receive the treatment and care you need, but sometimes negligence happens. Misdiagnosis, incorrect treatment or delayed treatment can cause your cancer to worsen and spread.
We're unable to take away your diagnosis or the stress you're likely to have experienced - but we're able to help make your situation better.
If you or a loved has received the wrong cancer treatment or has suffered due to a mistake, you may be able to claim compensation for your pain, trauma and expenses.
To find out whether you can claim and what your options are, call us for free on . We'll be able to answer your questions and offer free, impartial advice - but we'll never rush or pressure you into taking it any further.
Types of cancer claims
Medical mistakes or negligence can cause your condition to get worse, causing you pain and often leaving your family stressed and out of pocket. Some examples of the types of cancer claims we've worked with are listed below. If your experience isn't mentioned here, please don't worry - it's still likely we can help you, but we recommend calling us on :
- Scans, x-rays or tests misinterpreted
- Medication issues in chemotherapy
- Incorrect treatment
- A GP not referring you to a specialist for more investigation
- Administrative errors such as not arranging follow ups
- Patients wrongly given the all-clear
- Delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis
Delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of cancer
It's important for doctors and medical staff to diagnose cancer as soon as possible. Generally, the earlier they discover it, the more effective the treatment.
If your treatment has been delayed, this can cause the cancer to advance to a more serious ‘stage'. In some extreme cases, it can even get to the point it's no longer possible to treat it effectively.
It's also important that your diagnosis is accurate. For example, if you've been diagnosed with cancer when you don't have it, this can be dangerous and can put you through unnecessary stress. You may even have been given treatment you didn't need, such as chemotherapy or surgery to remove the cancer.
Can you make a cancer negligence claim?
We know it can be difficult for you to tell whether you could make a claim - we're here to help you.
Generally, you can make a claim for cancer negligence if it's three years or less since you first realised you were misdiagnosed or received negligent treatment. To make a claim, your condition must have been made worse by the treatment you were given.
The best way to find out whether you can make a claim is to get in touch with us for free on . We're here to give impartial advice and to help you understand what the process involves.
We'll never rush you into making a claim, but if you do decide you'd like to go ahead, we can put you forward to one of our specialist medical negligence solicitors. They'll also speak to you for free, and can guide you through the next steps.
How compensation can help
It can be very difficult to think about making a compensation claim when you've already been through so much. But in our 25 years' experience, we've seen how compensation can help.
Our solicitors will work hard to make sure they fully understand the impact your treatment has had on your cancer's development, and how that's impacted your life as well as those around you.
You may have had to pay for extra medical treatment, medication or care. On top of taking time off work, this can put you and your family under financial strain. To us, that feels wrong.
Your solicitor will aim to cover all the out of pocket expenses caused by the negligence you suffered, even down to travel and accommodation costs.
They'll also take into consideration the effect your cancer has had on your social life, hobbies, career, and your future.