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What to do about possible medical negligence

happyboylee
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Hello Jemma,

Thank you for the information and for your time and efforts to dig out relevant articles.  
I'm sorry I have been quiet for a long while.  I had some drama with being booked in for surgery then being bumped when they realised they had double booked the slot.  Then I was referred to another hospital but after travelling a long way to register with them and go through preliminary tests, I was told I couldn't have the surgery there either.
Then suddenly a slot became available at a 3rd hospital and I had surgery on Sept 18th.  I had CRS with a hot wash but not HIPEC.   In the end there was no other sensible choice and worrying about the pros and cons of HIPEC vs No HIPEC became academic. 
Anyway, the surgery went well, in the end I had excellent treatment and follow up care.   I am told I am lucky in that I only lost my appendix, spleen, peritoneum and omentum.  I am recovering well and apart from a loss of fitness and stamina, I am pretty much back to normal.  
The next issue is that about 2 years ago I was referred to a local hospital for investigations to check for cancer after an my annual health check showed fluid in my abdomen.  I had 3 x 6 monthly scans and blood tests and was informed each time that there was no sign of cancer.  After having persistent abdominal discomfort I went to a different hospital and was diagnosed with LAMN and PMP within 30 minutes.  We are currently in talks with the "negligent" hospital and I am torn in my feelings of how to proceed. 
On the one hand I am not happy that the delay may have resulted in me needing surgery that was avoidable or could have been less severe. It may also have increased my chances of recurrence and worsened my longer term prognosis.
On the other, I am reluctant to claim compensation from a hospital, particularly when other hospitals have looked after me so well, and I may well need them to look after me again in the future.  I am in Japan and am a guest in the country after all.  
I wonder if you have experience or insights into how to deal with this kind of medical problem?  
Thank you again, 
Lee
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    There is no guarantee with healthcare. Medical Staff can only do their best and being human can make mistakes like you or me.

    Are you Japanese or a foreigner there being treated there under your health insurance or paying for your treatment?

    Litigation is usually the worst option.

    Best wishes for your continuing recovery

    Ed

  • Hello Lee and thank you for posting,

    I am glad your surgery went well for you in the end and you are now well on your way to recovery.

    I can appreciate you are torn about whether or not to proceed with a negligence claim. As Cancer Information Nurses I am afraid we cannot advise you or provide any insights as this is not something we would generally be involved in.

    I wondered if you have had an opportunity to discuss this with the team who were involved in your care two years ago at your local hospital and whether this would help you to decide.

    You may have seen this already we have information about taking out a negligence claim on our website, which does have some tips on what to think about when considering this that may be helpful. We also have a list of organisations that would be better placed to advise you.

    I hope this helps a little and I wish you all the best with your continued recovery. Please feel free to get back to us if you need any more information or support.  

    Jemma

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