Halifax Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence – No Win No Fee Claims
In this guide, we will examine the process of making a compensation claim if harm was caused in a Halifax Walk-In Centre medical negligence incident. When we seek medical attention at a walk-in centre, we expect to receive the right standard of care. This is part of the duty of care that all medical professionals have towards their patients.
But what happens if this duty of care is breached and, as a result, our condition worsens, or we’re injured or made ill? Is this an example of medical negligence?
Claiming For Clinical Negligence At A Walk-In Centre In Halifax
There are a number of ways you could be injured or your condition made worse as the result of medical negligence. For instance, you could have a condition misdiagnosed or missed because the doctor failed to listen to what you were saying which results in it progressing without treatment. Or you could be prescribed the wrong medication, which causes you to become ill and fails to treat the condition you are suffering from.
Halifax walk-in-centre medical negligence claims guide
If you still have questions after reading this guide, you can call our claims team. You can also call them if you’re interested in starting a claim for compensation.
If they feel your claim has a good chance of success, they may be able to connect you with our No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitors.
To get in touch, you can:
- Call us on 0800 073 8804
- Fill out our online form
- Use the live chat option to the bottom-right of this screen
Select A Section:
- A Guide To Claims For A Halifax Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence Incident
- What Is A Halifax Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence Incident?
- Where To Find A Halifax Walk-In Medical Centre
- When To Go To A Walk In Health Centre In Halifax
- Injury Care Error Settlements
- Illness And Infection Care Error Settlements
- Reproductive Health Error Settlement Claims
- Prescription Error Settlement Claims
- Calculating A Settlement For A Halifax Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence Case
- No Win No Fee Medical Negligence Claims Against Walk In Centres In Halifax
- Talk To An Expert Solicitor
- Where Can I Find Out More?
A Guide To Claims For A Halifax Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence Incident
In this guide, we will examine potential scenarios of medical negligence in a Halifax walk-in centre. We will look at the steps you can take if you have sustained an injury, become ill, or your condition has worsened as a result of poor medical practices.
We will start by looking at the duty of care that medical professionals owe their patients and how this duty could be breached. We’ll also look at the circumstances in which you might visit a walk-in centre and how to find one in your local area.
This guide will then go on to examine the different ways that medical negligence could hypothetically occur in a walk-in centre. We will examine the reasons that you might attend a walk-in centre and how you have a right to be treated with the right standard of care.
Furthermore, we will look at the kinds of damages that can be included in a medical negligence claim. We will examine the evidence needed to support the two heads of claim (general and special damages) that your settlement could consist of.
To conclude, we will examine how a No Win No Fee agreement could help you fund legal representation in your claim for compensation. We’ll finish by providing you with links to helpful external resources.
What Is A Halifax Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence Incident?
When we visit our GP, attend the hospital, or visit a walk-in centre, we can expect to receive the right standard of care. This is part of a medical professional’s duty of care. Unfortunately, if a healthcare provider fails to provide this standard of care at a Halifax walk-in centre, medical negligence could result in you being injured or made ill.
A walk-in centre is a special healthcare facility that is aimed at treating people who need medical care but where the injury is not serious enough to necessitate a trip to accident and emergency (A&E). They can treat minor wounds and illnesses.
All healthcare providers who work in NHS walk-in centres must adhere to the NHS Constitution.
Some injuries that may necessitate a visit to a walk-in centre include:
- Minor burns and scalds
- Ear infection
- Emergency contraception
- Chest infection
- Stings or bites
The Bolam Test
When you receive certain kinds of medical treatment it can mean that you may suffer additional injuries as a means to recovery. For example, you may need an operation for a burst appendix. Therefore you may suffer an entry wound so that the appendix can be removed. Although you have suffered a further injury it was necessary and cannot be considered medical negligence. Another example is having your condition misdiagnosed. If the doctor assessed you within their professional standards and did all they could to come to a diagnosis and failed this neither would be considered medical negligence.
Sometimes, a healthcare provider could deliver an appropriate standard of care, but complications still arise which cause you harm.
To determine whether medical negligence has occurred, the court may administer the Bolam test. This is where a panel of healthcare providers who specialise in the same field of medicine are asked whether the care delivered was of an acceptable level. If they say it was not, then the healthcare provider could be considered negligent.
Where To Find A Halifax Walk-In Medical Centre
The NHS has a tool you can use to find your local walk-in centre. In addition to this, we have included the address details for two Halifax walk-in centres below.
Horne Street Health Centre
Horne Street
Halifax
HX1 5NU
St Johns Health Centre
Lightowler Road
Halifax
HX1 5NB
When To Go To A Walk In Health Centre In Halifax
You can visit a walk-in centre any time it is open. You don’t need to make an appointment. If you can’t get to see your GP and don’t think your medical condition is serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, you could visit a walk-in centre.
You don’t need to be in the Halifax region to use one of the walk-in centres in the area. You can just arrive and wait to be seen. If your medical condition is too serious for the walk-in centre to treat, they can refer you to the correct healthcare unit.
A walk-in centre might be responsible for:
- Dealing with minor injuries and wounds (cuts, burns, sprains, etc.). This might include cleaning and dressing them.
- Diagnosing minor infections and illnesses and providing the correct treatment. For instance, they may be able to prescribe you antibiotics.
- Giving health advice related to pregnancy and sexual health.
- Screening people for sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) and giving out emergency contraception.
Injury Care Error Settlements
One of the primary services offered by a Halifax walk-in centre is treating minor wounds, such as cuts, sprains or minor burns.
Examples of potential errors at a walk-in centre:
- Being treated for entirely the wrong injury. For example, the doctor may think you have sprained your elbow, but you’re actually suffering from a fracture. Your actual injury will go untreated and could become worse.
- Contracting an infection in your wound because the implements used to treat you were not properly sterilised.
- Not being referred to the correct department. For instance, you may come in with symptoms that would require you to be referred to your hospital, but the healthcare provider fails to do this.
Sometimes, complications can arise even when the duty of care is adhered to. But if you can prove that medical negligence meant that you were made ill or injured or caused your condition to worsen more than it would have if you had received the right treatment, you may be able to claim. If you are wondering whether you have fell victim to a Halifax walk-in centre medical negligence incident why not call our team for free advice.
Illness And Infection Care Error Settlements
There are a number of illnesses that you could visit a walk-in centre for treatment. Below we have examined some example scenarios of when an illness or infection could be made worse by a poor standard of care.
- Your illness is misdiagnosed because you were not fully examined. You receive medication for an illness you do not have and your condition is allowed to worsen.
- The signs of a serious illness are missed because the doctor did not listen correctly to the clear symptoms and your condition is allowed to deteriorate.
- You are showing clear signs of sepsis. The doctor fails to recognise the symptoms and the treatment you clearly need is delayed causing you more suffering than you would have gone through.
Reproductive Health Error Settlement Claims
Walk-in centres can also provide some reproductive health services. Like in all other areas of medicine, those who provide these services must adhere to the standards of their profession. Failure to do so could constitute medical negligence and cause the patient harm. For example:
- Your test results were mixed up with another patient which meant you received medication for an infection you did not have. This caused psychological issues as well as further illness.
- Because a nurse was too busy to give you their full attention, your screening for STI is not done properly. This means your illness is overlooked, which could cause you to spread it unknowingly.
- You were not tested for an STI although you were showing clear symptoms which allowed the disease to worsen causing fertility problems.
Prescription Error Settlement Claims
A Halifax NHS walk-in centre may be nurse-led or could also have a doctor present. Very often a doctor is needed in order to prescribe patients with medicine. If a mistake is made with a prescription in some cases it can cause no effects at all. However, in other cases, it may cause avoidable suffering.
- A spelling mistake on a prescription means that a pharmacy gives you the wrong medication. Taking this medication could harm your health and may mean that your condition is not treated.
- Because your medical history was not referred to, you are given a drug that it’s known you’re allergic to. This could cause you to suffer an allergic reaction.
- A nurse gives you a contraceptive that is not suitable for you because you suffer from high blood pressure, and they did not check this. This causes your health to suffer.
Not all harm caused by medication will be the result of medical negligence. For instance, you may have an allergy to a medication that you have never taken before, so this was not on your record.
Calculating A Settlement For A Halifax Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence Case
The table below shows that the seriousness of the harm you suffer will drive the amount of compensation you receive for a successful claim against a walk-in centre in Halifax for medical negligence. The Judicial College produced the guidelines that this table is based on.
| Type of Injury | How much? | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Infertility | £31,950 to £95,850 | Where an ectopic pregnancy has not been diagnosed, resulting in infertility. There will also be resulting medical complications. |
| Hernia | £3,180 to £6,790 | An indirect inguinal hernia which is uncomplicated and from which the patient will not experience any associated abdominal damage. |
| Chest | Up to £3,710 | This bracket of compensation would be for serious pain lasting some weeks, due to injuries such as fractured ribs. |
| Kidney | up to £60,050 | Where the patient is at a significant risk of future infection to the urinary tract, or the natural function of the kidney is completely lost. |
| Shoulder | £7,410 to £11,980 | Frozen shoulder which limits the patient's movement and causes discomfort. Symptoms will persist for about two years. |
| Elbow | Up to £11,820 | Injuries including tennis elbow syndrome, simple fractures and lacerations. No permanent damage no permanent impairment of function. |
| Wrist | In the region of £6,970 | A Colles' fracture with no lasting complications. |
| Hand, Finger and Thumb Injuries | Up to £4,461 | Fractures which have recovered within six months. |
The table above relates to general damages, which is the part of your compensation that covers the pain and suffering you experience. To value the general damages head of your claim, you will usually be invited to a medical assessment with an independent expert.
They will assess your condition and compile their findings in a report. This report can then be used to help value your claim.
Special Damages Explained
The second potential head of medical negligence claims is special damages. Special damages can be paid to you to make up for financial losses or additional expenses you have incurred as a result of your injury. Examples of special damages are:
- Care costs for hiring a healthcare professional to tend to your medical needs at home.
- To compensate you for the money you spent on private treatment that you couldn’t get on the NHS.
- Out of pocket expenses such as travel tickets or postage.
- Loss of earnings due to missing work. Either your entire salary/wages or partially.
- Lowered lifetime earning potential due to reduced working capacity.
You should keep a record of any expenses that you incur that you would like to claim back. Without evidence, it could be difficult for you to claim back the full value of your special damages.
It’s important to note that if you are claiming compensation for medical negligence, you will only be compensated for additional harm caused to you by the medical negligence you experienced, not the pain and suffering or financial impact caused to you overall.
For instance, you may attend a walk-in centre with a broken elbow that is misdiagnosed as a sprain. The misdiagnosis could cause your condition to worsen as it is left untreated. However, you would have experienced some pain and suffering even if you were diagnosed promptly; similarly, you may have needed to take time off work or pay for travel to hospital appointments even if the doctor’s duty of care was not breached. Because of this, you will only be compensated for the additional pain, loss of amenity and financial loss that was caused by the negligence, not the initial injury.
No Win No Fee Medical Negligence Claims Against Walk In Centres In Halifax
A No Win No Fee agreement is a contract between you and your solicitor. It states what they need to do in order for them to receive payment. This means that:
- There is no fee at the start of the claim, no sort of retainer to engage the solicitor.
- No ongoing fees will be charged, no matter how long it eventually takes to process.
- An unsuccessful claim means that you don’t pay your solicitor any fees.
If the claim is a success, the solicitor will deduct a percentage of your compensation to cover their costs. This is referred to as a “success fee” and is legally capped to ensure that you always get the majority of the compensation awarded to you.
If you need further information about making a No Win No Fee claim, call and speak to an advisor. They can answer all of your questions and may be able to connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor to work on your claim.
Talk To An Expert Solicitor
Perhaps you would like free advice about making a claim for a Halifax Walk-In Centre medical negligence incident? We can help.
You can contact our claims team:
- On 0800 073 8804
- Through the live chat on this page
- Using our online form
One of our advisors will talk you through the claims process if you wish. They could also connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors.
Where Can I Find Out More?
We have provided these external links, as they lead to websites that have some information that might be relevant to your claim:
National Institue for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
General Medical Council- Duties of a Doctor
We have published many more online guides on this site. Some of them could be related to your own claim. You may want to read through these guides linked below:
Lack of Consent Medical Negligence Claims
A Free Online Guide To Claiming For A Surgical Error
Other Guides Available To Read
- Knee Surgery Gone Wrong Claims Guide
- Rotavirus Compensation Claims Explained
- Liverpool Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence Claims
- Spire Healthcare Negligence Claims Guide
Thank you for reading our guide on what to do if you have experienced a Halifax walk-in centre medical negligence incident.
Guide by Wheeler
Checked by Stocks
