Emergency medicine deals with treating patients who need immediate medical attention due to accidents, injuries, or sudden illnesses. While the medical professionals in emergency departments are trained to act quickly and efficiently, mistakes can happen. Unfortunately, these errors can lead to long-term health complications or even fatalities.

In this article, we’ll explain emergency medicine, what medical negligence looks like in this area, and how Tomlin & Partners' expert medical negligence solicitors can help you investigate a claim if you suspect that negligent care contributed to your health issues.

What is Emergency Medicine?

Emergency medicine focuses on treating patients who arrive at hospitals with urgent health problems, such as:

• Serious injuries from accidents
• Heart attacks
• Strokes
• Severe infections
• Difficulty breathing

Patients in emergency departments often require life-saving treatments. Medical professionals in this field must work quickly to diagnose and treat these conditions. Any delay or error can result in serious harm.

To learn more about common conditions treated in emergency departments, you can visit the NHS Emergency and Urgent Care page.

How Emergency Medicine Can Involve Medical Negligence

Emergency rooms (A&E) are high-pressure environments, but that doesn’t excuse substandard care. Medical negligence occurs when healthcare professionals fail to meet the standard of care expected in the UK, resulting in injury or harm. In emergency medicine, medical negligence can happen in various ways, including:

• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis: Failing to correctly diagnose conditions like heart attacks, strokes, or sepsis can have severe consequences.
• Failure to perform necessary tests: Not ordering essential tests such as CT scans, X-rays, or blood tests can lead to incorrect or missed diagnoses.
• Delayed treatment: Delays in treating serious conditions like heart attacks or strokes can worsen patient outcomes, sometimes leading to permanent disability.
• Medication errors: Giving the wrong medication or incorrect dosage in an emergency situation can cause harm.
• Surgical errors: Mistakes made during emergency surgeries can lead to infections, internal damage, or other complications.

If you’ve experienced any of these issues, you may be entitled to compensation, and a clinical negligence solicitor can help you determine whether the care you received was negligent.

How to Spot Medical Negligence in Emergency Medicine

In the fast-paced setting of an emergency room, it can be difficult to immediately notice if something has gone wrong. However, there area few signs that medical negligence may have occurred:

• Was there an unnecessary delay in your treatment?
• Were important tests skipped or not performed?
• Did the medical team communicate clearly about your diagnosis and treatment options?
• Were you given the wrong medication or incorrect instructions for your treatment?

If you suspect that your treatment in the emergency room was below the expected standard, it’s important to speak to an expert medical negligence solicitor to assess your case.

How Tomlin & Partners Can Help You

At Tomlin & Partners, we specialise in helping patients who believe they have experienced medical negligence in emergency care. Our team of highly qualified medical negligence solicitors have the experience necessary to handle these complex cases.

We offer a no win no fee medical negligence service, so you can pursue your claim without worrying about upfront legal costs. We are here to help you navigate the legal process, from gathering medical records to building a strong case.

Why Choose a No Win No Fee Agreement?

Choosing a no win no fee medical negligence UK solicitor ensures that you can pursue a claim without any financial risk. At Tomlin & Partners, you’ll only pay if your case is successful, allowing you to focus on recovering while we handle your case.

Get in Touch with Tomlin & Partners

If you or a loved one has suffered due to negligent care in an emergency room, it’s important to act quickly. There are strict time limits for filing a claim, and starting sooner will increase your chances of a successful outcome.

Contact Tomlin & Partners today to speak with one of our expert medical negligence lawyers.