This is a very common misconception. Another is that the doctor or nurse knows best, even though the patient has a nagging feeling the treatment he or she received was not right. Many more do not want to cause a fuss or would rather put the bad experience behind them and get on with life.
The result of this is that the patient is left, sometimes in pain, but always feeling upset, angry and disappointed and the doctor or nurse continues to practise in the same way.
It is absolutely vital for patients to raise concerns, not only so they can get the help they need but also to improve the health service for other patients.
Claims brought against hospitals and GPs produce 2 results: first, the patient gets the treatment they need; second, often there is a change in procedure to ensure the same thing does not happen again.
For example, I recently settled a case for a man who had a hip replacement. During the operation, the sciatic nerve was damaged which left him with foot drop and numbness in his leg. This meant whilst he could walk, and continue to work, he could not carry on playing football or all the other sports he enjoyed. He was not warned of the possibility of nerve damage prior to the operation. The medical expert instructed to review the medical records was critical of this and the way the operation was carried out.
The hospital has now changed its practise so all patients are correctly warned of the risks of hip replacement operations and the sciatic nerve is properly protected during the procedure. This should lessen the risk to other patients of suffering this permanent and disabling injury.
The man was awarded over £40,000 compensation. This included the cost of private treatment for physiotherapy and specialist treatment from a consultant to ensure he had the best chance of regaining some feeling and movement in his leg.
This case clearly demonstrates it is of the utmost importance to raise any concerns you may have about the treatment you receive.
