What Medical Negligence Isn't

Medical negligence is the legal term given to a course of action taken by a health professional, if they have not carried out the requisite standard of care that is needed by a patient in their care. This means that the health professional has carried out the wrong procedure, misdiagnosed or administered the wrong drugs to the patient. It can also mean that patients have simply not been treated as well as they should have been, for example if they have not been given enough food or if they have not been able to wash adequately. There are various cases in which patients may feel that they have not been treated as they would have liked to have been in hospital, but it is important to distinguish these cases from the real cases of medical negligence.

Clearly working in the health sector is a very difficult and stressful job, so if a health professional appears to be stressed this is understandable. However, this is not a reason to doubt their abilities, unless they have given reason to suspect that this stress has caused them to carry out less than the requisite standard of care. Similarly, if health professionals appear short this may be because they have had a stressful day, or because one of their patients is in a more serious condition. Although it may not be what a patient should expect, a certain amount of leeway must be given to people in such demanding jobs. Also, if a health professional refuses to administer more drugs to a patient this is likely to be for a very valid reason. The doctor is well trained, and they will know much more about the condition than the patient does. They are therefore very likely to be carrying out the correct course of action, even if the patient does not believe that they are. Refusal to give out more painkillers, for example, is likely to be so that the patient does not overdose on them, or because they would interfere with the more important drugs that the patients are taking.