Medical negligence claims are rising across the world. Patients are more aware of their rights and the introduction of ‘no-win, no-fee’ promotions which are offered by solicitor firms, this means suing for compensation is now a lot simpler. Patients will usually try and attain financial compensation to help with side effects of negligence such as disability help or medical aids, or to compensate for time off work.
On the whole healthcare in Europe and the USA is very good. Millions of people are treated every year and most leave the hospitals happy with the service they received and thankful for the treatment and care. A small percentage of these though, things will go wrong and the patient will need professional advice to see if the doctor or hospital have been negligent.
All medical practices need liability insurance should a claim be made by a patient. In the UK for example claims against hospitals are paid from the funds of the trust responsible for the hospital. Regardless of who is at fault, a claim can be made if they have made an existing illness worse or, in the very rare case injured you in some way.
Medical negligence claims can be hard to prove, let alone win, courts must see there is more than a 50% probability that the actions of the medical person caused the problem. It is, therefore a specialist area for insurance and solicitors.
Many people assume the US is a litigation society, but surprisingly, more medical malpractice claims are made in the UK per 1000 people than in the US. Of course, they are two totally different types of healthcare system, but medical practitioners are medical practitioners the world over. The way the NHS is free for all, does make it an easy target for some unscrupulous claimants.
Most medical mistakes are genuine that will impact the doctor that administered the care as well as the patient. The vast majority of medical providers do their very best to give the best care possible, but they are human and sometimes things do not go as planned.
Health insurance can cover all kinds of areas of medical care, from treatment of injuries to diseases, routine operations, and various ailments. In the UK, the NHS can take care of most things but for some private health insurance offers that extra bit of comfort when it comes to timescales of being treated and the environment in which procedures and treatments take place.
Some people may ask “is therapy covered by insurance”? Indeed, help for mental health and anxiety related traumas, can be available via health insurance also, at present waiting times to be seen by therapists on the NHS can stretch into many months and in some cases over a year for counseling. A comprehensive insurance plans can cover mental health care services like psychotherapy and counseling.
It is always best to contact your GP first, or local health insurance provider directly. Healthcare insurance companies will help with questions relating to therapy cover too, and their role can speed up the opportunity to be seen and assessed before therapy begins. For many this bypassing of the NHS is a real benefit, as months spent on waiting lists can do nothing for the patients chances of dealing with day to day life when mental health is affecting their daily routine.