Behind the delays: What is happening in our A&E departments?

We are all familiar with the pressures our accident & emergency departments are facing and the lengthily waits to be seen – but what happens when these delays cause harm?

The news has been filled with shocking stories about how the lengthily waits in our A&E departments have caused delays in care for the people who needed it most.

Recently, there was the case of Inga Rublite, who faced an eight hour wait in A&E before she was found unconscious under her coat in Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham and died days later from a brain aneurysm.

In another tragic case, 4 year old Makenna-Rose Thackray died within days of leaving A&E after a fruitless six hour wait to see a doctor when she started coughing up blood.

Our A&E departments are facing unprecedented levels of pressure and the cracks are showing. Chronic under-funding, overcrowding and under-staffing are resulting in delays in treatment, poor care and risks to patient safety.

A&E claims

A&E medical professionals should be trained in delivering the right medical care and accurate diagnosis under pressure but, despite this, mistakes do happen and they can fail to provide the standard of care expected.

Negligence can happen as a result of action or inaction. This could include delays in receiving diagnosis and treatment, misdiagnosis, prolonged pain, receiving the wrong treatment or failure to refer for tests or scans.

Contact our team of experienced and friendly medical negligence experts for advice and support if you, or a loved one, has been affected. Email Linda on linda.williams@geldards.com to discuss your claim.