Doctor’s Negligence
What To Do If You Are A Victim Of A Doctor’s Negligence
In all professions, mistakes are sometimes made and these mistakes have consequences. When it comes to the medical profession however, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals have a sworn duty, having taking the Hippocratic Oath, to nurture and care for those they treat. Albeit the fact ‘to err is human’, as a patient you are entrusting your very life to your doctor, so if you have been a victim of a doctor’s negligence, you have every right to claim for any damages, pain and suffering that you may have experienced as a result.
A doctor’s negligence can be evidenced in a wide array of instances, most notably:
- Doctor-patient confidentiality breach
- Improper conduct in the consulting room
- Incorrect diagnosis of your condition
- Incorrect prescription of drugs
- Surgical and emergency room errors
- Birth injuries to both mother and child
- Elder abuse and/or nursing home neglect
- Cosmetic surgery malpractice
- Psychiatric malpractice
When it comes to treating patients, all healthcare professionals in South Africa should be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Further, all medical professionals, be they doctors, anaesthetists, osteopaths, nurses, psychiatrists, radiologists, dentists, psychologists or others, are required to act in accordance with the provisions of the National Health Act No 61 of 2003, which is based on our Constitution. If you have been a victim of a doctor’s negligence then he or she is in breach of the requisite legislative regulations and codes of ethics and conduct of the HPCSA and the National Health Act. In this instance, you should investigate your options for recompense with experienced medical negligence lawyers, such as Adele van der Walt Inc.
If you have been a victim of a doctor’s negligence, contact us today to assess your claim and discuss your options.
For more information on this subject, please give us a call at 012 460 3668 (SA) or e-mail us at clare@avdw.co.za
