January 31, 2023
Healthcare law – a year in review.
Over the course of the last year, there have been many interesting judgements in the High Court and the Court of Appeal in relation to healthcare and personal injury law....
Hospital Acquired Infections
Our public and private hospital institutions provide an invaluable service 365 days per year for those with urgent and non-urgent medical needs.
Indeed, hospitals go to great lengths to ensure the quality and safety of the facilities they provide, including, in so far as possible, controlling the spread of infection. By adopting and applying measures to ensure a sterile environment where needed, hospital acquired infections are thankfully rare. However, in some cases, patients suffer infections as a direct result of the care they have provided. If this due to medical negligence, then the person affected may be entitled to seek remedy.
There are several organisms which hospitals work extremely hard to screen and control, including:
Infections may occur in surgical wounds, or the respiratory, genitourinary or gastrointestinal systems, and can be spread through contact with individuals, non-sterilised instruments or medical equipment, unsanitary facilities, airborne organisms from other sick patients, or present within the food or water provided to patients.
Hospital acquired infections in many cases are far more than a mere inconvenience, delaying discharge. Such complications can have a multitude of implications for the health of patients. The speed of recovery for patients may be significantly impaired should infection occur, especially if new conditions arise as a result, or existing medical conditions become worse.
In many patients, it is common to see multi-organ dysfunction, meaning that several organs are damaged in succession as a result of the infection. Patients may be impacted as a result of their infection for life, depending on the extent and severity. Some evidence also suggests patients with MRSA have higher rates of hospital readmission. And furthermore, in more extreme case, infections are known to increase the risk of patient death in cases whereby the body is overwhelmed.
To bring a claim for a hospital acquired infection due to clinical negligence, it will be necessary to prove:
To prove your case, we will compile evidence including medical records, and where necessary, seek expert medical opinion.
Claims following a diagnosis of hospital acquired infection due to medical negligence may cover two areas of loss:
By allowing us to handle your claim on your behalf, you can focus on what is most important, your recovery and care, or that of your family member or loved one.
For further information on making a claim following medical negligence resulting in a hospital acquired infection in Ireland, please contact Lavelle Partners in confidence on (01) 644 5800 or email Avril Scally at ascally@lavellepartners.ie
*In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement. This statement is made in compliance with RE.8 of SI 518 of 2002.
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