Delay in Diagnosis: Have you been affected?.

Every day many people find irregular lumps and bumps on their bodies and think nothing more of it. Sometimes, however, there can be something that just doesn’t feel ‘right’.

If you find something that causes concern, you should always seek medical advice from your GP, and it is their duty to ensure you receive the care and support you need. However, there are situations when medical standards fall below what can reasonably be expected due to a variety of reasons - such as the doctor not being able to feel what you feel, or they simply don’t believe it requires a specialist assessment They do, however, have a duty to ensure your concerns are heard and that you are referred for proper investigations when necessary.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produce guidelines for medical professionals to follow to ensure each symptom can be explored, investigated and referred if needed. These guidelines provide a fundamental basis for patient care and assistance for medical practitioners to ensure the correct care is given. Unfortunately, sometimes, these guidelines are not followed correctly, or at all, which can result in a delay in receiving essential investigations that can be vital for diagnosing progressive health issues such as cancer, blood clots and sepsis.

Sometimes, a condition can progress into something worse and so any delay could have a massive impact on the outcome. It can also set the person back in receiving specialist treatment that may have made their outcome much better if they had received it sooner. In some cases it can also have a knock-on effect in that a delay could result in additional or more invasive treatment being required which would have been avoided if the symptoms were investigated sooner.

If this happens, many people blame themselves for not doing something sooner. However, often, the patient is not at fault and the delay could have been avoided had the medical professional acted quicker and not delayed.

If you feel like you have been affected by a delay in diagnosis, please feel free to contact our Clinical Negligence Team to discuss your situation further.

If you wish to discuss matters in confidence with our Clinical Negligence Team, please call us on 0800 652 3371.