What is duty of care?

Yes. Medical providers who provide treatment or medical advice that gives rise to a risk of injury, also have a duty to warn their patients of the risks involved with that treatment in circumstances where:

The information is reasonably required for the patient, so you can make a fully informed decision whether they wish to proceed with treatment given risks involved

The information is such that the medical provider knows, or ought to know, that the patient would want to be aware of it when making their decision to undertake the treatment or follow the advice.

There are some cases where a patient can undergo treatment by a doctor for an injury the patient already has, and the patient suffers further injury during that treatment.

However, not all of these cases will be considered medical negligence.

It does not necessarily follow that if a patient suffers further injury from undergoing treatment they automatically have a medical negligence claim.

To succeed in a claim for medical negligence, it has to be shown that there has been a lack of care in the provision of that treatment.

Or failure to warn of the nature of the risks involved in undertaking the treatment.

Under the provisions of the Civil Liability Act 2003, a professional is not considered to have breached their duty of care if:

It’s established that they have acted in a way that is widely accepted by a significant number of other respected and competent professionals in their field

Unless the practice is irrational or contrary to a written law

It can sometimes be very difficult to differentiate the injury sustained from the pre-existing injury for which treatment was being provided.

Especially from the increased injury caused by the treatment.

This is not only an issue when looking at causation, but when looking at what damages or compensation you should receive for your injuries in a medical negligence claim. Best thing to do is contact us and get a free claim assessment and we can advise more.