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Victims of Fraud Series Part 3: “What can I do if the fraudster has disappeared?” - Persons Unknown Injunctions
Elliot Grosvenor-Taylor
Delay in diagnosis or other mismanagement of Atrial Fibrillation can lead to an avoidable stroke and may give rise to a claim of medical negligence.
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a heart condition that causes an irregular and often unusually fast heartbeat. It is caused by abnormal electrical impulses. In AF, the upper chambers of the heart do not pump efficiently. It is the most common heart rhythm disturbance and affects around 1.4 million people in the UK.
Delays in diagnosing cancer are a common area for claims of medical negligence.
Why can cancer be diagnosed late?
There are many factors which affect why cancer diagnosis may be delayed, including where a patient does not notice their symptoms. However, it may be that a GP or hospital doctor fails to recognise potential cancer symptoms and investigate them appropriately, or refer a patient on time. Referrals can also be made to the wrong specialty. In these circumstances, there may be a claim for medical negligence.
A study from 2019 by Cancer Research UK found that one in four cancer patients experienced a delay in diagnosis that could have been avoided. The causes were multiple but according to the study included long waiting times for tests. Patients with other pre-existing conditions were found to be more likely to experience an avoidable delay, potentially because of difficulties distinguishing between symptoms attributed to the condition and those that could be an indicator of cancer.
In a rare criminal prosecution by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), last month Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) was ordered to pay a record breaking fine after admitting failings in the care of a baby who died minutes after birth.
Wynter Sophia Andrews died on 15 September 2019, 23 minutes after she was born by emergency caesarean at the Queen’s Medical Centre. She suffered a loss of oxygen to the brain following an infection and umbilical cord compression during labour. The inquest into her death concluded there was a “clear and obvious case of neglect” and “gross failings” led to her avoidable death. If she had been delivered earlier, its likely her death would have been prevented.
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