Patients present to the Emergency Department of a Hospital when they need urgent medical care. But what happens if they don’t get treated in time?

If the doctors at the Emergency Department of a Hospital are overrun or inattentive, this may result in mistakes which cause patients to suffer serious consequences for their health and well-being. In such circumstances, a patient may be entitled to bring a claim for medical negligence.

One mistake which may lead to a medical negligence claim is when the Emergency Department at the Hospital fails to appropriately triage a patient, and this causes them to miss out on the urgent medical treatment they need.

Another mistake which may lead to a medical negligence claim is when a doctor misdiagnoses a patient and incorrectly discharges them from the Emergency Department when the patient in fact required urgent medical care.

Some injuries and conditions can only be treated within a limited time frame. For example, if a patient presents with chest pain, they may be suffering from a heart attack which requires urgent care.

Similarly, if a patient presents with swelling in their leg or arm following a trauma incident, they may be suffering from compartment syndrome which requires immediate surgical relief.